Thing attached to brace bar
 

Hey guys so I need some major help. So I was trying to take off my side brace bars underneath the hood & I noticed that there is some sort of box thing attached to the underneath of the left (when looking at it) brace bar. It looked like it would slide right off but I tried & it didnt work :( i really need to find a way to get this thing off (& then be able to put it back on) bcuz i need to get these bars painted soon. Anyone know how to get this thing off? Here's a couple pics of what it is.
Sorry bout the crappy pics
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i8...9/DSCN9073.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i8...9/DSCN9002.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i8...9/DSCN9074.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i8...9/DSCN9000.jpg

that comes off easily with a door panel removal tool and pry the screw blue thing off the bar...those are the same type of screw thingys that are used to attach the door panels...or you could just pry it off with your hand...it might break though...either way its not gonna look the same after you yank it out. those little fins are gonna be all bent....(personal experience swaping the battery in the 5.3)

mann i dont have a door panel removal tool =( i wanna make sure whatever i do that i dont damage it too much bcuz i want to put it back up underneath it when i'm done

autozone...pretty cheep....looks sort of like the open side of a wrench.(now that i think of it that removal tool will come in handy if you ever need to get into the door panels but you gotta know where the screws are)..or you could try prying it out with a flat U shaped tool if you have one...does the same thing.

hmm gotcha. well i guess i'll have to try that in the morning when i got a lil more light to work with. thanks!

If you pull it out you will ruin it.

It looks to me like it can be slid out though- look at your first picture in the center, and you can see the center blue tab hanging down; then look in the second picture where the blue tab is against the plastic. You should be able to pry the blue tab up with a pick tool, and it should slide out.

The black plastic connector is one solid piece, so that blue tree had to have been put on afterwards- meaning it should be able to be removed without destroying it.

I say pop it out, I did and its back in

There is a tab that can be raised with a slotted screwdriver. Once it's raised the box slides off the mount.

Insert the screwdriver in the center opening below the blue part. This will raise the tab.

https://montecarloforum.com/forum/at...1&d=1270832654

Slide the box and the screwdriver towards the engine.

https://montecarloforum.com/forum/at...1&d=1270832654

The box is now free of the mounting stud, and the stud can be pulled out, or carefully worked out - your choice.

https://montecarloforum.com/forum/at...1&d=1270832654

yeah mine slides on and off by prying the clip with a screwdriver. then you slid it back on till it clips

ive pulled mine about over 5 times now and it still goes right back in