Filter indicator piston stuck

[Ronray]

I took the piston and spring out of this Schroeder pilot filter dirt indicator and put it in upside down and now it is stuck. I'm trying to get it out using some long tweezers and even though the piston spins around freely, I can't get enough grip on it to pull it out. I tried slamming it hard upside down on a hard surface to see if that would jar it loose but still no luck. And I put a few drops of ATF fluid to lubricate it as well, but that did not seem to help. Any advice on how to get it out?

 

[petepilot]

air hose in the other end be sure to catch all the pieces

 

[Ronray]

Thanks for that great advice Pete. I actually got it out by slamming it down really hard on the flat surface of an anvil LOL

 

[Ronray]

But I have a different question, about why this indicator shows red in the default position with the engine not running. So I disassembled the top of the indicator with the red and green plunger and found a very light weight spring which was on the bottom side of the plunger. And I discovered if I switch it to the top side of the plastic red and green plunger that it now shows green as the default position. And I'm guessing that the prior owner of this machine just disassembled that indicator apart and reassembled it improperly. Inside of the green and red plastic plunger was a metal pen that was magnetized and so I figured that the intent was for this magnetized pin and the magnetized piston below to get pushed together by a higher hydraulic fluid pressure, then that is what pushes the red and green plunger up to show a red condition which would mean higher pressure due to the filter element being clogged up.

That's just my theory, so does anyone know if the lightweight spring belongs above the red and green plastic plunger?