Thanks for all the input (except for the rusty butterknife
)
I may in fact give up. Taking the tstat off was just one of many things I'm doing in an effort to diagnois high temps. Everything I can do to diagnois tstat with it on the car says it's actually OK - but the only way to be sure is to get it out, if getting it out were easier it might be worth the effort, but based on the probability that it's ok - and that I'll ruin it or something else in the process.... I think I should just stop.