I'd like to replace the stock shift **** with an AF one and have tried to "gently" remove the stock one. Is there an easy way to do this with no damage?

Thanks,
Rick
'86 951
'85 Carrera Turbo Look

 

i used a wrench that went around the shift lever and tucked under the ****. Then hit the wrench up with a hammer.. be carefull with your roof liner.

 

yeah, you don't want to pull on it and end up with a 1-5 pattern in reverse on your forehead.

It might be more work, but if you are willing to pull the seats, you might be able to get the center console and stuff out, then take the shifter to a workbench or a vise. Once on a vise, you can isolate the force used to remove the shift **** from the shift rod pivots. In other words, no force applied to the shift pivot if the shift rod is clamped into a vise.

I had to pull all of that stuff to replace the fuel lines on my friend's 911SC. It takes about 30 mins to pull it all out, 30 mins to put it all back. There is a trick to get the defrost light back in, which involves using a sharp awl or an icepick.

 

The **** is held on the the rod with a crush sleeve/friction. The manuals I own have all said the same thing:

Use a 13mm or 14mm box/open-end wrench and light hammer.

Slot the open end over the shift rod and slide it up until it rests firmly on the bottom of the shift ****. Using a light hammer - ball-peen or similar - gently/firmly "tap" the old **** off the shift rod. Use a new crush sleeve on the new ****, with a little silicon to reduce any looseness/chatter later in life.

I just changed out the **** on my wife's '69. It was the original **** and in really bad shape. The old **** tapped right off.

For installing, use nothing more than your hands (palm of your hands - one hand on top of the other) for pushing it on. Anything else will damage the new ****.

Have fun!

 

wow even the manuals are copying me now

 

I only wish mine came off with gentle "tapping". I literally needed a deadblow hammer finally to knock mine off. I don't think mine was unique in any way, I've heard of many more that were also a bear to get off.The old **** came thru unscathed and now hangs above my bench. My guess is that if the **** has been off in its lifetime, it won't be too bad to remove.

 

I gave up on removing mine and bought a Wevo shifter. Yeah, it was stuck so I bought a Wevo......

 

I did mine recently but thankfully I had changed to a factory short shift kit so the lever was out. Popped in the vise with a 13-14mm? open wrench right up under the **** then applied lots of leverage force to slowly work it off the lever. I had to cut down the top of my short shift about 15mm so the **** would seat right down on the upset portion. All in all went well and easier than trying hammer off a **** in-situ which may cause problems further down the linkage....

 

Thanks - I've been trying to screw it off rather than "knocking". Using the wrench and tapping (or hammering) up, does that damage anything on the lower part of the shifter?

Thanks,
Rick

 

Brooks it will not screw off. The sleeve which holds it in place is kind of crenellated or like a reverse shaped cookie cutter so no amount of twisting will help, may in fact hinder as it may shave off internals of **** thereby sticking it more. The thing I was afraid of damaging lower down was the pin which holds the shift plate or the actual plate itself. Considering the amount of force it would require to move the **** off the shift stalk deformation of one or the other may be a distinct possibility. Go the longer (easier) route and strip the shifter out, and while your in there replace your bushings and adjust the linkage.

 

Well I find my self telling this story over and over but oh well

I did it with the wrench and hammer on my Targa with the roof out so I would not risk the headliner . A couple of good whacks and off it came .. and gone .... I searched and searched but it was not to be found .....
My lawnmower found it the following Saturday ....
I SUCK as a mechanic ..

 

one good speed shift to second gear, and mine came off in my hand!

 

No way. Seriously? Or April Fools joke? It did not go shooting off like that, did it?

 

Tried the wrench and hammer technique, using a ball-peen hammer with no luck. Didn't "slam" it too hard. Am I being too paranoid about doing any damage to the lower parts of the shifter?

Thanks,
Rick
'85 911 Turbo Look
'86 951

 

yup sure did ... it was a couple of years ago now. Must have been pretty funny from the outside seeing the **** go flying out into the grass..