Snap-In Thermocouple -- removal tips?

[Tim Allen]

The pilot system on our gas kiln is equipped with K15F Snap-In thermocouples, with little spring loaded clips that hold them in place:

It looks like I should be able to just pull them backwards out of their holders with a good tug, but they are not coming out easily. Do I have to somehow depress those little spring clips in order to get then out, or just tug harder?

Thanks,

Tim

[Fred Sweet]

Tim-

Just guessing here since I’ve never  used that type of thermocouple. Have you tried to push the thermocouple in and rotate it 1/8th of a turn and then try pulling it outward? This technique works on many spring loaded devices.

Regards,

Fred

[Tim Allen]

Hi Fred, thanks for your response. The thermocouple rotates freely inside the spring clip ring which is stationary in the socket. There is just enough of the spring clip ring exposed that I can just see the bases of the spring arms peaking out from the socket in which the thing is inserted, but not really enough for me grab hold of (of just the spring clip ring) with some vice-grip pliers... The socket, by the way, is probably internally threaded for a screw-in fitting.... an identical socket (at least in external appearance) is used to receive the tubing that brings the gas to the pilot flame)

Suspect I just have to get a tighter grip on what I can with my vice grips and just tug harder!

[Tim Allen]

I finally figured this out. I pulled and pulled, and not only the thermocouple but the socket into which it is inserted. The socket was press-fit into a hole in the angle-iron mount. It has knurled (ribbed) section that was the press-fit, the other end is internally threaded and has wrench flats. Initially I had thought those wrench flats were a "nut" that was securing the thermocouple in place, and had tried valiantly to unscrew it -- before I figured out that this thermocouple was this snap-in style. It turns out that my wrenching had deformed the socket fitting enough that it was no longer round, so the thermcouple wouldn't come out.  I squeezed the socket fitting in a vice to try to get it back to round, go the thermocouple out, made some more adjustments to the shape of the socket fitting so that a new thermocouple could be inserted. Then I devised a screw-press to press the socket fitting back into place (although now it is a bit loose....). Anyway, this part of my problem appears to be solved.