how do i get the damn thing out? is there a trick or something?

 

remove the outlet and pull it out, if it is stuck, pry it out with a screwdriver

 

pull straight up with plyers (protect with a rag if you wish)

be prepared for coolant to fly out as well - in that case, prying is best, just risk damaging more IMO? idk

but, no trickery

 

Thanks guys, but I got it a few hours ago, lol. I was panicking because when I took the water pump housing off, coolant went everywhere (I felt like killing myself) but as it turns out the opti is ok because after I finished everything and put it back together, the car idled fine and I took it for a drive and everything was kosher.

I did end up having to just work at it with a screwdriver....it was a bitch but it came out. No coolant came out when I took the actual T-stat out, it probably all came out already from when I took the housing off It just ran down the front of the waterpump and hit the driveway....didn't get near the opti or any electronics. Which is very good. And I got most of it with the rags I had there, so I minimized the flood majorly.

 

I remember when I did mine I had rags EVERYWHERE even NEAR the opti..............then, when either the housing or t-stat came out, magically all the coolant found its way to the opti.....to this day I still do not know how. it ran fine after tho > : - >

 

I did have rags packed in there, but I had to kinda pry the housing off so I needed to take the rags away to make room to work.......I wasn't expecting it to come off so quickly otherwise I would've packed the rags back in there when I started to get it to come off.

I think we should both count our blessings!