- Location
- Southern Maryland
Ever since I got my junk it has been overly eager to shift into 4th, even around the suburb where it goes into overdrive at like 30 mph between stop signs. Today I got bored and the weather got up to mid-40s so I thought what the heck I'll change my TPS today. Went to vatozone around the corner, bought one of their overpriced trash sensors, got out the torx bits and started working.
One screw came out fine, but the other one only turned a hair and then froze. I could turn it back in a hair again, but I could not turn it either direction past that little bit. I tried PB blaster, a torx bit on a ratchet, vice grips on the bit, everything. After an hour of getting pissed, I removed the throttle body and put it in a vice and really went at it. WOULD NOT COME OUT.
Finally I used a sawzall and shredded the old sensor until there was nothing left except the screw and the steel sleeve that it inserts into. Then I cut the head off the screw and removed the sleeve. STILL WOULD NOT COME OUT.
So I have put the new TPS onto the TB by slipping it over the stump and jiggling it into place, and the other (good) screw is holding it down onto the TB. Seems to be working... lol.
BTW the throttle body is nasty like you would not believe. The idle air motor was covered in sludge. If the condition of the TB is any kind of indication then yeah I need a new engine...
Good news is that shifting into 4th is a lot more appropriate. It also corrected the hard shift between 1st and 2nd and back down from 2nd to 1st, which used to be really jerky. Amazing. Power mode is a little fast on the shift from 2nd to 3rd but that's not a big deal since I rarely use it.
Anyhoo... that's what it's like to work on a motor with 335k miles.
One screw came out fine, but the other one only turned a hair and then froze. I could turn it back in a hair again, but I could not turn it either direction past that little bit. I tried PB blaster, a torx bit on a ratchet, vice grips on the bit, everything. After an hour of getting pissed, I removed the throttle body and put it in a vice and really went at it. WOULD NOT COME OUT.
Finally I used a sawzall and shredded the old sensor until there was nothing left except the screw and the steel sleeve that it inserts into. Then I cut the head off the screw and removed the sleeve. STILL WOULD NOT COME OUT.
So I have put the new TPS onto the TB by slipping it over the stump and jiggling it into place, and the other (good) screw is holding it down onto the TB. Seems to be working... lol.
BTW the throttle body is nasty like you would not believe. The idle air motor was covered in sludge. If the condition of the TB is any kind of indication then yeah I need a new engine...
Good news is that shifting into 4th is a lot more appropriate. It also corrected the hard shift between 1st and 2nd and back down from 2nd to 1st, which used to be really jerky. Amazing. Power mode is a little fast on the shift from 2nd to 3rd but that's not a big deal since I rarely use it.
Anyhoo... that's what it's like to work on a motor with 335k miles.
atriot: 