[SOLVED] Oh c¶@p ... I broke it.

[5thAve]

Ok, so I'm disassembling my engine and dutifully following the manual (you know, RTFM and all that). Manual says remove the tachometer driven gear (a.k.a. cable drive) from the head and I don't stop to realize that I could just as easily have left it on 'cause it doesn't need to come out for the work I'm doing.

...so anyway, I remove the screw and give the unit a tug -- nothing happens. Twist the unit and it slowly starts to break free. Now I can twist it, though it's tight. I turn it a bit and put a lever behind it to pry it out, and SNAP! Off comes the tab with the screw hole. Now I've got no leverage on the pissant thing. It's broke, and it's still stuck in the head.

2 questions:

#1) ANYONE HAVE ANOTHER THEY WANT TO SELL ME CHEAP? This is on the head of an '89-'00 model. <<edit>> In a matter of a few hours I got two offers! Thanks to those involved. I love this forum!

#2) How in hell does this thing come out? Is it just held in there by the friction of the oil seal(s) or is there a lock ring / E-clip / circlip or anything else holding it in?   <<edit>> Ok, so there's nothing in the diagram that shows a retainer / clip of any kind. So, what, I have to pull out the oil seal first? Just grab it with some ViseGrips and pull 'til I'm blue in the face? Anyone had this thing out before? How'd ya do it?







LOOKING FOR #17 IN THIS DRAWING, OR WHOLE ASSEMBLY!

[sledge]

Unlucky......but yeah its only the oring holding it in.

[5thAve]

Thanks, Sledge. I'll have another go at it with ViseGrips when I get home. guess I'll post in the Wanted section...

[Train]

Hey man, if you need that piece, I just pulled mine out a few weeks ago to install a digital tach and speedo. PM me if you need that part. And yes, you really need to tug on it hard to get it out.

[5thAve]

Train: PM'd Thanks!

[natedawg120]

I had a similar experience with my previous pickup and the vehicle speed sensor, those o-rings can be a bear to get loose, i thought for sure i would break something by pulling and just turned and pulled at the same time till it poped out and pissed gear oil all over me

[joker79507]

try tapping (not beating the piss out of it) it with a hammer and brass punch to losen it a little.  Then grab that mother and pull.  o-rings swell sometimes and get stuck and thats probably what happened.  good luck though

[the mole]

If its in that tight and you don't need to get it out you could just leave it be and take your time finding another one!
Or you could bend and drill a little aluminium plate that overlaps the broken end just to trap it there.

[5thAve]

If its in that tight and you don't need to get it out you could just leave it be and take your time finding another one!
Or you could bend and drill a little aluminium plate that overlaps the broken end just to trap it there.

Good ideas, Mole. I don't think it would have leaked, but the housing (even if it wasn't coming out very easily) was able to turn/spin in place. I was worried about the tach cable working loose on its own.

So I screwed up my courage, grabbed the f'ing thing with some ViseGrips, and pulled 'til I was blue. That's my wife's approach to this kind of problem: If something doesn't fit, push harder. She drives me crazy, but sometimes she ends up being right.

Here's the happy result:


Thanks to the board members who chimed in and helped on this one. And thanks to those who offered replacement parts!