I'm trying to replace the CPS and the sensor is stuck. I've done this job about 3 times before on other cars, but the sensor won't budge. I've sprayed it with silicone (it's an M47)and waited days, but it still won't budge.

I've been thinking about getting some long pliers to grab the sensor body and turn it (carefully) in the bracket, but I'm terrified of breaking it.

Art Benstein once posted that water can make its way down the cable and cause the sensor to swell from inside. I fear this may be the problem.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Dean

UPDATE:
I tried long (16") pliers and couldn't really fit them behind the engine. I kept spraying silicone on it. The 12mm wrench didn't have the grip on the sensor body, and was too narrow for the flat mounting part. Eventually I used some Vice-Grips and grabbed the sensor body and gently rotated it around until it moved freely in the bracket. On a 93 with the a/c unit on the firewall, there is not a lot of room to move, and the vice-grips can't move much, but evenually I got it loose enough that I could slide it up out of the bracket.

way to go.

try to find a variation of this

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-long-reach-hose-grip-pliers-37909.html

ie: a pliers that is shorter in length.

if you carefully grip the barrel of the sensor this tool will give you the torque to turn it until it loosens.

if you try and lift before its really loose you can easily snap it or the bracket holding it and then your trouble has increased exponentially.

I like YAMA's suggestion.
See if it will twist even a litte as you put upward pressure on it.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html http://cleanflametrap.com/tony/

I have changed many of these and recently ran across a very swelled stuck CPS after a two week venture of pb blaster, vise grips,wiggle and wait, more and more of the same. with extreme patience and care I managed to completely destroy the entire upper part of the CPS leaving it flush with the bellhousing. next I called my favorite volvo guru who told me that sometimes you just have to melt them out with a torch, which is what I did after removing the front motor mounts and lowering the engine for more clearance.I basically turned it to ash and then cleaned off the flywheel ring,now with new CPS installed it works fine. What a PITA, Also be very careful not to break the CPS mounting bracket.

I think you can get a 12 mm wrench on the base of the sensor and then gently wiggle back and forth to loosen it.

I would also use PB Blaster while gently trying to get it to move back and forth.
Dan

Is it safe to use PBlaster with a manual clutch?