pputkowski

I am so frustrated right now. I went out to my car to remove the shift knob, loostened the lock nut, went to unscrew it and it wouldn't budge. I figured it was just stuck on there pretty good and needed a little tq to come loose. Well after about an hour of giving it hell with everything I've got (including rubber strips and other grip-improving objects) it still hasn't budged.

I'm guessing the previous owner did not understand how a LOCK NUT worked so they decided to put some loctite or something similar on the threads to ensure it wouldn't loosen.

Does anyone have ANY ideas on how to get this thing off without ruining my shift linkage? I have already tried heating it up with a blow dryer and that did nothing.

geoffrey06

Can u get vise grips on the metal below the knob? If you can just clamp them on then hold the underpart still while you put more tq on the knob.

s98d7fs

This might be an excellent excuse to upgrade to a short shifter (a la AxialFlow).

freshdrivewrx

Take a torch or soldering iron, heat up the threaded area to break down the loctite. I dont think a blow dryer will make it hot enough. Remove after heating. Just hope the previous owner did not use green loctite.

TelosHedge

i had this once on a car i was working on.

i took one of those rubber strap oil filter removers to it and it came off.

freshdrivewrx

oh yeah, you can buy a strap wrench at the hardware store. a strap wrench will not scratch a shift knob since it is made out of rubber or leather. that plus heat should be the best way to get it off if it seems like its impossible.

if that doesnt get it off i dont know what will

pputkowski

We got it off!

GrandMasterKhan

how did you get it off?

pputkowski

Clamped a vice grip to the base to keep it from spinning and stretching the linkage, then clamped another to the knob and gave it hell!

geoffrey06

Good stuff, glad that worked for ya.