Thanks, got it. I was going about it backwards. Wife held the trunk lid wide open, I clamped my vice grips on the end that pushes against the trunk hinge and eased it out of the retaining slot that holds it against the trunk hinge, then backed off the pressure, moved the adjustment end down two notches, put the torsion bar back in place. done in two minutes. Took longer to climb in and out of the trunk.

My Dad always told me, when setting goals " avoid disappointment, aim low".