What an experience; Reservoir cap

[Telerisk]

Unreal that replacement of such a minor part would be so difficult...

 

I noticed fluid leaking from around the Inverter System Controller Reservoir black plastic cap.  Ford had some issies getting the right cap since there are several different Inverters used.  The cap is harnessed to the Reservoir Tank by a Ball type male plastic fitting that fits into a female molded socket.  Getting the old one out was unreal, it was like you could have lifted the car up off the ground it was so tightly locked in.  With prying and pulling we got it out.  So now you can only image if it was so hard getting out, since it is usually easier to pry something out than push something in....the insertion of the new Caps ball and joint as I will call it....was unreal.  It would not pimply just push in to the molded socket....it is made of a hard plastic and it would not squeeze into the Socket.  I tried using some grease, nope.  I tried boiling water hoping the plastic would soften...nope.  I finally had to snipe a small slit out of the Male Ball so that the ball could squeeze into the socket.  Looking at the other reservoirs, Brake Fluid, Anti-Freeze, Windshield Washer...all have caps, those caps are also linked to their reservoirs but none use this same Ball/Joint arrangement and the caps are much easier to replace if need be.  No Idea why it was Fords idea to link the Inverter Reservoir to where it is so very difficult to replace.    Oh well, should anyone else ever find themselves replacing this Cap....it will be know how I finally got the new one on.  I could have just left it unlinked....the Cap would have never fallen off or gotten lost...I just was determined to put it back on like it was from the factory.