Marine Blue

So I picked up a new plastic frame with foam and the rubber boot which fits underneath to replace the existing ones but I can't figure out how to disassemble the existing shifter.

Can anyone give me some pointers, tips or tricks to disassemble this?

At some point a short shift was either installed or my existing shifter was cut, not sure which. I tried pulling the shift **** up and off but it didn't budge, is this normal?

Jim M.

If it's the stock shifter then just pull harder, it will come off. The leather cover is wrapped around a small plastic frame IIRC. It's held in place by two small tabs, you need to gently push the back bart of the frame towards the front of the car and the tabs will clear, then the front half will come out. From there the rubber boot is accessed.

Hope that helps.

Jim Mayzurk
93 GTS 5-spd

Marine Blue

Thanks Jim

I get nervous pulling things too hard without knowing for sure if it can cause harm. The lower section of the leather (frame) pulled out easily but the **** on the other hand is on there tight. I'll give it a harder tug.

Shane

I had to pull pretty damn hard on mine to get it to come loose, almost knocked myself out when it did.

largecar379

just grab the shifter **** and pull, pull, pull......eventually it will come off.

one problem with the (leather) boot on it's lower end where it attaches to the plastic frame, is that the leather has a tendency to not stay wrapped around the plastic frame.

I ran across a few very tiny screws (less than a 1/4 inch long) that I used to secure the leather to the back side of the plastic frame. these screws corrected the problem.

good luck----Russ

Marine Blue

Thanks guys

Shane I'm picturing knocking my head against the roof doing this......and then explaining to everyone how I managed to dent my roof from the inside out.

Marine Blue

Ok so the plastic frame with foam is out no problem but that shift **** is definitely not coming off. It appears the PO cut the original shift column to achieve the short shift. I pulled pretty hard (my shoulders hurt) but still nothing. I can't imagine it it should be this difficult???

If he PO glued the shift **** in place am I stuck? Looking behind the rubber boot I can see two C-Clips which hold the shift column, if I remove these I should be able to pop the shift column out right? Then I can bring this into work and put it into a vice grip and really pull on it.

Mike Frye

Afshin,

If it's glued you're screwed.

But if not, there is a little cutout in the front and back of the shifter and the shift **** has a set of rubber bumps that sit in them front and back. This is to keep it from popping off during 'aggressive' shifting. If you try twisting it a little it might just wiggle past those cutouts and pop off. Maybe if you warm the rubber shift **** with a hair dryer or something? That might soften it up a little.

Marine Blue

Mike,

Good idea....I'll give the hair dryer a try and give it one last tug, hope it's enough otherwise I'll have to pull the shift column out.

Mike Frye

Just wear a mouth guard...

With all the warning I got, I still dropped my clutch on my own chest when I pulled that out.

Marine Blue

Ok so I tried the hair dryer tonight and unfortunately it didn't help. So I brought a circlip remover from work and pulled the shift column off. From there I cut the old rubber boot off so I could get a good grip on the column and the **** and well....nothing

I tried prying the **** off of the column using a screw driver and still nothing. I can see remnants of what appears to be an epoxy.

Anyways I have a sinking feeling I'm in this for a new shift **** at minimum and possibly new column depending on how badly the PO hacked the thing. Any suggestions before I spend more $$$$

Anyways another question. I noted that after disassembling the column that there are four small bushings in the assembly covered in a tacky grease. Anyone know what kind of grease this is and where I can find more of it? Also what can be used to remove the existing grease? I figure while I'm in there I might as well get everything right.

Here's a shot of the old rubber before I removed it, you can see it's deformed and split down the middle. It made shifting into first difficult on really hot days. Last shot is of the new rubber

worf928

The no-regrets, best-shifting, easy but expensive option: New short shift lever. New 'fat shifter' from a 91+. Throw the old shifter w/glued **** away. Pay a gypsy to put a curse on your PO.

Cheaper alternative: used shift ****. Dremel-off the old ****. Your call on getting a proper lever. Use some black RTV to 'glue' it on if you reuse the munched-up lever. Curse your PO yourself.

Marine Blue

Yeah it sounds inevitable (and now I have an excuse) to get a real short shifter instead of the home made version. I think I'll also pick up new white bushings to replace the existing ones. Only things left is which grease to use and shift ****.

Believe it or not I'm still on the fence about which shift **** I prefer. I've always liked the old school shift **** which I have now.

largecar379

any good quality grease should do----even a synthetic is good.

bite the bullet and get all new parts, including the short shifter, from Roger (928s R US)--his prices are great.

I hate trying to fix something that was screwed up by somebody else, unless it was me who screwed it up......

I guess that's why I have a "used" 928....I hat what the previous 40 owners have done to it, but at least I can put it back the way I want it.......


good luck-

--Russ

Champagne

Afshin,

if you decide to re-use your old ****, I can fix you up with a leather boot that will make it look and feel like new:

Leather



Alcantara



Paul