I replaced the driver side drive shaft today and lost about a quart of transmission fluid in the process. When I went to top it back off, I couldn't get the speed sensor out of the transmission. Haynes manual says to pry it out, but I couldn't get at it with anything to pry on it with. 3 hours and about 50 scratches and bruises on my arms from trying to get tools down to the sensor to pry it out later:banghead:, it hasn't budged. I almost broke the plastic part off.

Do any of you know of a special tool or technique to getting these things off when they are being difficult. Is there another way for me to get this car filled back up with the proper level of transmission fluid?

All too common problem and yeah ugh, I know the situation. Luckily mine eventually twisted out. Wonder if maybe negative air pressure might be partially responsible for holding it in there ?? Perhaps not.

Only other thing I've thought of trying besides the obvious, is to put the manual trans in gear and you + an assistant rotate both wheels in the same direction while a third tries to twist and pull it out. The thought is that maybe moving the wheels while in gear may move the gear that may be locking it in there.

Curious to know if anyone else has any suggestions...

EDIT: 'nother thought is to try twisting while having found some way to lock the speed sensor's gear into position with an insert of some sort.

It sounds silly... but just to make sure... did you remove the clamp held by the single bolt that secures it?


Mine has been tight before, but it has always come out with a little twisting motion. never had to pry... just a good twist and some oomph.

I got the VSS out of mine -after- removing the engine & transmission, so I dont know if there would have been room to use my technique. .... I undid the clamp bolt & the clamping 'fork'. Trying to rotate it with vise grips I got NO movement. I had already squirted penetrating oil on the joint where the VSS mated to the tranny case for a couple of days.
I drove the tip of an old wood chisel (with a light hammer) into the joint between the transmission case and the bottom lip on the VSS. This eventually raised the VSS a couple of thousandths. Then I tapped the back side of the lower (aluminum) part of the VSS, and repeated tapping at the joint with the tip of the wood chisel.
When I got it out, I could see that corrosion of the VSS base and the opening in the transmission case was why it was stuck. When it went back in I had sanded off the corrosion, & coated the two surfaces with a light coating of my favorite anti-seize compound; silicon grease with powdered nickel.
If you were able to -briefly- heat the transmission case around the base of the VSS with an acetylene torch, it would probably make it slightly easier to break that bond of corrosion between case and VSS.

I wonder if you can remove the vent and put a quart back in through that hole?

Be a *very* slow process due to it's tiny size but that might be possible assuming the displaced air can escape somewhere. I've run a wire down that hole before and it came out with red fluid on it. Would also have no way of telling whether or not it's full.

Unfortunately putting too much fluid in the transmission will eventually blow the speed sensor's seal. I've run into this issue twice before. Trans fluid is forced out through the back of the speedometer and ends up on the bottom of your feet as you drive the vehicle.

Repeatedly inserting and removing the speed sensor to be sure, be sure that fluid gets no higher than the top of that red gear. (white gear may be for automatic transmissions)