How-To Remove Your TPS Sensor

[Harrry]

Parts needed:
Screw driver, long and short.
Dremel or hack saw
Pliers



Part 1. First we will start off with the typical screw driver.

Make sure the screw driver fits snug inside the screw. If it doesn't then you will most certainly strip the screw immediately.
Once you find the correct size place the screw driver firmly against the screw applying as much pressure possible to the back of the screw driver while your other hand turns it.

If you remove the screw, then remove the other screw and your done.

Part 2. If it is still not turning and the screw is not stripped.

Find a really long screw driver and try again. If it still won’t turn, Grab a pair of pliers and place them onto the screw driver like so.


Then apply as much force against the screw and turn the screw driver with the pliers. 80% of the time the screw will break lose.
If you remove the screw, then remove the other screw and your done.

IF YOU STRIP THE SCREW. Continue Reading!
What you will need is either a hack saw or a dremel with a cutting wheel.
Here we will place the dremel (Hack saw) and cut a slot into the screw like so



Once the screw is cut. Take a really long screw driver and again apply pressure and try to turn the screw.
If it turns then great! Continue to the next screw.


Once both are out. Then your done.

[Harrry]

If you stripped the new slot you just created, Then Continue reading!
Now we will have to cut the head off the screws. Take your dremel or hack saw and cut these heads off the screws. Like so





Once they are cut off, take your dremel and grind the screws edges. Making a square shape end! Like so


Once you have done so grab your plier and start to turn the screw.


The screw comes out 100% of the time.
If for some magical reason it doesn’t. Then take your hack saw or dremel and cut off the remaining screw flush to the housing. You will need to purchase a steel drill bit and drill the screw out! Remember pruchase a bit that is smaller then the screw..so the screw will cave in. This way you save the threads from being damaged!

Now you can continue with the modification of your throttle body.

[blu_fuz]

I know not everyone has one, or can afford one, but an impact drill with the proper sized phillips bit works amazingly well.

I agree. Using a screwdriver seems to be rough sometimes on these screws and the throttle plate screws. I use the impact on those and they slide right out. Nice write up .

[striker2]

I know not everyone has one, or can afford one, but an impact drill with the proper sized phillips bit works amazingly well. if you dont have one, maybe someone you know has one or perhaps its an excuse to buy a new tool.

[Nezerconezer]

One thing I did that you hadn't posted when you strip the screw. You can square of the sides of the screw heads and use a vice grip to get it started. Its what I did on one of my screws and it worked great.

[Harrry]

One thing I did that you hadn't posted when you strip the screw. You can square of the sides of the screw and use a vice grip to get it started. Its what I did on one of my screws and it worked great.

I also thought of that...but sometimes there isn't enough room for the pliers to grip on. Which was my problem on a few tps i tried to take off. They were on sooo tight...it was impossible to take off

So i just left that out and skipped to the cut the heads off and square out the screws.

[SHOgoFast]

I like to use a 3/8" socket wrench with a philips bit socket. Or one of those sockets that accept screwdriver bits.

You can bear down on it will damn-near all your body weight and then apply the rotational force required to break the screws loose. Has worked 100% of the time for me.

[ScottyDsntKnow]

I had to do this with a mustang throttle body and wound up ruining the TPS. Lucky for me I got a good used one for $25 online but DO NOT goober up your TPS, GO SLOW!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here... If you do bugger up your screws and have to buy new hardware DO NOT GET THE SAME SCREWS! Get hex head screws with the same threads from a hardware store, this way if you ever have to remove the TPS again for cleaning/putting car back to stock/whatever you can just pop them right out with no fuss. Why Ford uses phillips screws and then makes them near impossible to remove I'll never know...

[SvelteSVT]

Should have read this and used the impact wrench before I took mine off last night. It took all my weight to remove one screw, then stripped the other one and used a vicegrips wrench. I noticed that there is bone-dry white grease inside the TPS sensor. Getting new one today from either Autozone or Ford. Any opposition to using Autozone's Duralast (Part #TPS246)?