ok so my convertible has no back window thanks to these little %^@$% kids who were playing football next to it and thru a football thru the back window so ever since water / dew / and humidity has taken its toll on the interior Im guessing because I had no money to buy a new top and now I have a new top in a box and trying to get it up and running I decided to replace the safety neutral swith and I CAN NOT remove the shifter ****,, I've already pulled the staple type pin on my 91 Z but it will NOT budge !!! I've sprayed wd40 / pb blaster etc , i've broken the push **** off I dont care I want it off I will replace the **** later . seems like that sucker has glued itself to the metal shaft... what do you thinK ? Saw saw , jig saw ?? tell me Im out of clues here !!

thanks
rob.

 

round ball?

 

Sometimes they REALLY stay on there. What I usually do is take both my hands and face my palms towards the middle of the ****, and thrust your hands up and together (Like clapping on the ****) lifting it, until it comes off.

(That sentence sounds kind of weird, lol)

What year is it?

 

its a 91 z28 Not a round ball I've tried my hardest grabbing that sucker with both hands and pullling straight up feels like that sucker is glued .. I've taken it off along time ago but now it seems stuck

 

Try this: Get a few pieces of wood - lay across the center console - you want the wood height almost up to the bottom of the shifter. Grab an open end wrench that's just slightly larger than the diameter of the shifter shaft, place the open end around the shifter shaft, with the handle of the wrench on top of the wood. Push down on the wrench. Your using the wrench as a lever, the wood as a fulcrum.

The wood across the console top should distribute the pressure evenly and keep from breaking the plastic console top - but I would try even pressure by hand and be careful. I wouldn't use a hammer on the wrench - the sudden force might break the console top - but you could try a light tapping of the wrench end with a hammer 'cause sometimes a a sudden force is needed to release a seized object.

Make sense? Leverage is your friend!

 

makes perfect sense !! will try that

and BTW you dont sound like no CamaroNewbee like your name says LOL

 

Well, 5 years ago when I first signed up here, it seemed like a good name at the time

 

OK just for future search reference none of the advise here worked for me Maybe they will for your car but mine was REALLY bonded/stuck to that shifter.

I got mid evil on that shifter I plugged in my jig saw, put that sucker Veritical and sliced down near the center of the metal shaft itself after a cut here and there I grabbed some vice grips and squeezed around the shifter turning left and right till that thing came off !

thanks for all your replies I did try them but no dice.

rob

 

Good thing you got it off. I had a OEM t handle shifter on mine that I destroyed with a dremel and cutting wheel. But I love dremels and will use it on anything. Even mixing eggs and cake batter. I got a new shifter **** from flameball.com. It's Bad a--.

 

Mid-evil is an understatement. You just completely owned that shifter. Ive never heard of a shifter being stuck on that tight ever in my life. At least I now know what to do when I come across one like this now

 

So what was holding that sucker on? glue?
On a side note.I grew up in Harlingen.Coakley Jr & Harlingen High student!Swimming/fishing in the canals.Going to Victor Park.I left before the new mall was finished, but lived a stones throw away from there.Not much to do there back then.How is the Valley looking these days?

 

you just reminded me, i should put my new shift plate on!

the car i got it from had the same problem, the shift **** was stuck. after a few loud threats it ran with its tail in its legs!

it just takes some patience and strength sometimes

 

the shifter it self started to get some pitting from rust while it was in the shifter thus bonding it to the plastic somehow . I remember taking it off awhile back and all of a sudden it was like this !! thank good I never put on that new leather shift boot I had for it .. I ended up shreading a used half leather shifter. and that is some tough plastic that crap is made out of.

I ended up using some 1000 grit sand paper and sanded the shifter of all its imperfections and then greased it up before I put the other one on for easy on off.