hey everyone i hope i posted this is the right area but all i need to know is how to take off the stock shift ****...i tried twisting but gave up because i dont want to do anything that im not supposed to ....so do you just twist counter clockwise real hard??? or do you have to do something else before...thanks

 

Use the search function and type in "shift **** removal". You'll get all kinds of info. Good luck; I've heard it's a b!tch to get off.

 

The shift **** is an interior component. Plenty of suggestions in the interior forum.

 

Mine came off pretty easy. Just twisted in with alittle elbow grease. But I have heard of other people having a hard time removing it.

 

Roughly translated...............HIT THE GYM.

 

For the sake of your Z, please make sure you are holding the shift lever steady with a pair of vise-grips. What you don't want to do is just grab the shift **** and attempt to twist it off. If you don't hold the **** lever steady, it will rotate with the ****, and could possibly screw up your tranny.

 

A towel and some channel locks/vise grips work great. Leverage is your friend

 

Be careful. I took off the **** on my 99 Sentra. It was really hard to get off. About a month later I'm shifting and the WHOLE lever snaps off in my hand!! Apparently I had twisted it too hard and cracked the lever at the base.

 

I'm not sure I'm following you guys here.....My shift handle is made of steel with a plastic stock shift ****. You twist the **** off like a coke bottle top. How can you possible break the shift handle or mess up your tranny? I don't know about you guys, but I'm not strong enough to snap the steel handle off the car.

 

v07848 awsome avatar.....it cracks me up +1

 

thanks.

 

this is hilarious seeing that im already 208 lbs but back on point i tried twisting it and im afraid of what you guys are saying that it will break....so i should put a vise grip on the lever and then twist?

 

Put a towel over the lever so you don't tear it up and then use vise grips. Just twist!

 

How? Well, why don't you just start yanking at something that contains synchros and gears and such, and you see what happens. It took the jaws of death to get mine off..but boy was the payoff worth it!

 

It's not quite that simple. We're not worried that you are going to actually twist the steel shaft, but remember the bottom of that shaft is connected to a linkage which is not intended to handle rotational force like that, rather it's made to hold up against back and forth and side to side motions. Thank linkage is also connected to your transmission, and here is where the real leverage comes into play, as the wrong forces applied to your shift **** can translate to greater forces down the line, right into the transmission.

Anyway the best way to do it, as many have already alluded to, is to pop off the plastic shifter surround, and from underneath the shift boot put a vice grip on the shaft to stop it from rotating while you turn the shift ****. Then you can torque on the **** all you want, for that I recommend a strap wrench, or a trip to the gym!

Good luck.

Just as a side note, I've tried a number of shift *****, and for all the trouble, I like the stock **** best!

 

Here's an explanation I typed up real fast on our club site yesterday for a guy with the same question. This was adapted from my own knowledge and also the walkthrough that kcobean posted a long time ago, and was just typed off hand:

1: Remove the center console ring around the shift **** by grabbing the inner edge of the ring around the shift boot and pulling up and outward.
2: Unplug the ribbon cable on the back of the climate control **** cluster, and place it to the side (inside the center console).
3: Twist the panel around the shift ring so it sits sideways and gives you room to work. It might be good to have someone hold it, as you will be rotating it as you unscrew the shift ****. Do NOT unscrew or rotate the shift lever assembly at this time..
4: Get a pair of vice grips, and a thick towel. Move the white cotton padding under the boot down so you can see the black rubber sheath surrounding the shifter assembly.
5: Wrap the towel around the rubber area on the shift assembly just under where the shift boot attaches, and then clamp down on that area with a set of vice grips. The vice grips need to have a tight enough grip to keep the shift assembly mechanism from rotating when you unscrew the ****.
6: Depending if you plan on keeping your stock **** looking nice or not, you will want something to protect it when you unscrew it. The best recomendation is a cut peice of black radiator hose that can fit down over the stock **** and protect it. Also, you can just use another thick towel but it might still get damaged slightly.
7: Wrap the towel or the hose around the stock ****. Next, you will want to get a pair of channel-lock pliers to get a good grip on the stock shift ****.
8: While holding the vice grips to ensure the shifter assembly doesn't move, unscrew the shift **** using the channel locks. It will initially be very tight but once you break the seal on the threads, it will begin to unscrew easier. While unscrewing, you will need to rotate the ring and shift boot, so it might be easier to have a second pair of hands.
9: The stock shift **** should come off at this point. Leave the vice grip on the shifter assembly, and screw on the new shift ****.
10: Verify that the shift boot is lined up and straight once it is tightened all the way down. Only tighten the new shift **** hand tight to make future installations much easier.


The reason why some people have a harder time getting the **** of is because the 2003's are notorious for tough shift **** removal. On later models, it can be quite a bit easier to remove. You have to be very careful when doing so or you will damage the linkage, as stated above.

 

That was an EXCELLENT post, and exactly what I was looking for

Thanks from all us newbies out here