Thanks for the replies. I'll definitely try the advice.

According to Tronxy, my extruder may be discontinued. Apparently my machine is very old - purchased in 2018 LOL.
I'm waiting to hear back if there is something available I can use.

I planned to change out the extruder and the hotend also just in case. I have to wait 6-8 weeks for replacement parts because nothing I can get quicker fits my machine. In the mean time, I'm just waiting, so thanks for new ideas to try.

I'm seriously considering getting something new. In spite of the problems I have had, I like the the Tronxy and their customer service is very helpful, if very slow because of distance. But I don't like the down time.