Stuck VSS 99 Taurus 3.0 AX4N 80,000 miles

[2littletime]

Jumping speedo, stuck in first gear when speedo inop and check engine light. Time for a new VSS. 6mm hold down bolt breaking should have been an indication of the problems ahead. From under the car using a drift on the underside of the hold down clamp tried to lift VSS from trans case only to pop the clamp from the VSS. Now, VSS has become one with the trans case. Sure hate to break the plastic from the steel base and drop pieces/parts into the dark abiss of the trans. 12hrs of WD has done nothing.

Any ideas?

I have successfully drilled through the center of the broken hold down bolt from underneath the car using a very long drill bit so if you break yours all is not lost.

TIA

I answered my own question and found that breaking the top half off the VSS aids in removal. Using a 8mm socket remove the three bolts holding the heat shield for the rear bank and slide toward the drivers side. After sliding up foil heat shield on the wire harness, remove the harness connector and break the plastic top off the VSS with pliers or small needle nosed vise grips. Then remove the thin drive shaft from the center of the VSS and screw a 1-1/2" long 1/4" wide sheet metal screw down the hole in the center. I used a flat pry bar often used by carpenters to get under the head of the sheet metal screw to pull the lower half of the VSS from the transmission. One may also work from under the car using a long drift to tap up on the underside of the sheet metal screw. Drive on ramps provide more than enough room. If possible clean the area first using a brush or compressed air to prevent any dirt from entering the hole once the old VSS is removed. A bit of grease or anti sieze may be a good idea to prevent this problem in the future. Remove + battery terminal prior to doing any work for safety reasons and once completed start the car and let it idle for a few minutes to relearn the idle. Check engine light is now out and car runs great.