Gear shift boot

[psg]

How do you remove the gear shift chrome cover in order to replace the rubber boot? psg

[rlux4]

A crown shaped plastic part snaps into the extruded grove you see near the bottom of the chrome extension. You need to get a couple of small tools up inside the lip (small flat bladed screwdrivers, or better yet dental pics) and pry the tips of the crown inward. While they are released from the extrusion, the extension can be lifted off. It's easier with a helper, but I did mine alone. It doesn't lift easily, it's got rubber grommets on it that make it a pretty tight fit.
I prefer Mbouse's explanation better:

A Michigan SHORTER SHIFTER comes complete with a full set of instructions to disassemble that 7" chrome outer shifter. (not that i'd blatently or overtly advertise my product on this forum)....

1. remove your outer shift boot, or at least get it out of the way. you may find that removing the wood trim from the console will give you enough room to manuver around for this procedure.
2. with the shift knob ON the shaft (for better gripping) slip a long thin standard screwdriver up the inner shifter shaft to disengage one of the four tangs on the plastic fastener. with the screw driver still in place, turn the shifter 90 degrees and repeat with another screw driver.
3. if you are strong enough, step two may be skipped.....stand on your front seats, reach down with both hands and grab the shifter knob. bend at the knees for maximum leverage. take a deep breath and exhale loud enough for the neighbors to wonder if you have a hernia....and pull with all your might on the shift knob. straighten your legs as you pull with all your might from both the leg muscles and the back muscle.

if you disengaged at least two of those plastic tangs during step two, you should now find yourself laying in the back seat on your butt. your legs should be dangling over the front seat uprights, and your head should have bounced off the rear deck.

Cursing, you should be able to look down at your hands, and find your chrome shifter and knob in your tightly clenched paws.

seriously, step two can be ommitted, but you will need to stand on the seats if you skip the screw driver insertion. most folks with two screwdrivers can sit in the driver seat and pull the shaft off.

But I didn't want to plagerize his, no doubt, copywrited instructions.
Ron

[kilrwail]

Ron - No copyright infringement there - I posted this on FLU.org in July '08: "when I removed the chrome sleeve and shift ball as a unit, I remember standing in the car. I tried all kinds of poking and prodding with screwdrivers, etc. to no avail. Place one foot in each footwell or on each seat and pull up really hard on the assembly. Have someone standing by to catch you when it finally lets go! I wasn't smart enough to know anything about "teasing out"."

There's nothing new under the sun

[rlux4]

I guess I was lucky then. After sudying a diagram of the internal parts and reading here on the forum how it's disengaged, mine popped off pretty easily. I was even able to get it off without standing on my seats. ( I still have good upper body strength for a guy "old as dirt"!)
Here's another great read about this subject, for the newer members who may not have seen it. Good ole Ace has quite the sense of humor:

http://www.fiatspider.com:16080/f08/vie ... onk#p20559

Ron

[mbouse]

check your email. i have sent you a picture on how to remove the chrome overshifter, and a written set of instructions on how to do it.

[So Cal Mark]

use 2 picks to pry the plastic retainer down from the chrome upper shifter, then just pull. It's not that tough

[psg]

Thanks, and I will give an update on my success. I appreciate the response. psg

[psg]

Success, and it really was easier than suggested. No tugging, no falling backward. Remove the crown bushing with ever so little pressure drawing it down and the chrome piece slid off.

What I came to realize is reassembly occurs by putting together the complete internal assembly inside the chrome shift piece and then the whole unit is slid onto the gearshift. Thanks for the help. psg

[mbouse]

no falling backward.

no? dang, is it just me?

[ssk124]

I am trying to sort out changing the shift boot and would love to see details and pics if possible..
Thanks in advance.

Sridhar