First of all FORGET EVERYTHING YOU HAVE READ ABOUT DRILLING!!!!! Now that I have kept you from making a big mistake read on...

This is a two min. job!

First lower the boot by twisting it and pushing it down. There are some "teeth" that have to line up with some slots before it will slide off.

Next, with boot down, take a small flat headed screw driver and carefully bend back a few of the pins that are holding into a groove in the shifter shaft. (there are four of these pins)
I only had to bend back two and the knob pulled right off.

Thats all there is to it, the knob is now off. There are no threads on the shifter so I will just glue of epoxy another knob on. The base ones are hedious!!!

Good luck and I hope this saves someone from drilling needlessly!!

Dan

 

All done now. I just went out and found a shift knob that goes on with three set screws and now i'm ready to go!

 

Drilling was not so bad...besides, its not like I need the stupid thing. Oh, and I plan on keeping this car, so I don't really care about maintaining meaningless OEM parts.

Thanks for the good info though. This will save others a lot of time.

 

okay, i twisted the hell out of the boot.. the thing isnt coming down.. have any pictures to go along with the how to?

 

Sorry I don't have any pics but you only have to twist it a little bit, not maybe an eighth of a turn. If it is any easier pull the boot out of the console and flip it up over the top of the shifter. keed working it up enough so you can see the bottom of the plastic collar. with the boot up twist it a little and you will see the "teeth" rotating and you will see the openings that they will slip through. Good luck and post up any more ?'s.

Dan

 

Don't know if this applies to the SS/SC sice we have to "pull up" when we want reverse.

 

i see how that could be an issue

 

i think it'd be a good idea if after you have the bare shifter (threadless, knobless), that you bring it to a metal shop, and have it cut just enough to weld on a threaded metal. that way you can switch out knobs as you please.

 

Some of the aftermarket shift knobs don't even have threads. I got one that just goes over the shaft and is held in place by three set screws. If I went to all the trouble to get the threaded metal shaft welded on it would have done me no good.

Yes as someone said before, I did this to a base model. soulds like those of you lucky enough to have the ss will have to remove yours some other way.

Dan

 

i think us ss/sc cobies are out of luck b/c the lift reverse goes up into the stock shifter so i dunno about switching out the shifter knob for us

 

That piece should come right off. Its a useless feature. Don't have an SS, so i can't say for sure, but in my previous 02 sunfire, and other cars i ahve seen with this feature, it a plastic piece which will slide right off the shaft of the shifter. It should come right off and then you won't ever have to lift to go into reverse again...it was the best mod i ever did!

 

lol yea i figured the thing out by myself it took me awhile at first but figured it out in the checker auto parts parking lot like 2 hours later lol. got the cool led one now

 

what diameter is the shifter so i know what size knob to get...

 

I don't know what size it is but if you get a replacement knob most will come with sleeves to adapt to different size shifters.

Dan

 

maybe you could bring your car to a metal work shop. theyll cut off your metal shifter, shorten it a lil. then add threading to it and weld the shift back. then screw on the aftermarket knob.

idea? maybe.

 

I would just throw in a short shifter before I paid for a metal shop to do that!

Dan

 

can i just cut off like two inches on the shifter then throw a universal shift knob on it? this way it will be alot shorter than factory and feel a lot better. good idea or not?

 

not, just get off your wallet and order the right one for the job

 

i've tried to do this for an hour.... the knob will not twist at all and i even pulled up the boot??? please help

 

yeah this sucks, I tried for a long time too, no luck

 

i broke the big clip that holds my shift boot down in place trying to do this mod.. now i'm pissed but oh well this frustration isn't worth a new shift knob... so i used a zip tie as a replacement for the clamp that i broke...

 

can somebody who did this mod please post some pics of how to get it off???

 

I don't have pics but see my thread titled "FRIGGIN SHIFTER INSTALL"

I never got the knob to come off...............even after I sawed it in half and took a screwdriver and a hammer to it!!!!! Good luck, but follow my instructions and you should have it done today!!!!!

 

i don't want to cut the shifter off.. all i want to do is change the shift knob..

 

what model car? on my SS just PULLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!