Man am I frustrated!! So I come back stateside today after a month in Europe and I find my Nismo GT TI shift **** in the mail YAY!! Did a search on the forum here to see how to get the stock shift **** off and it says grab some big pliars and turn until it gives. Well mine will not give and instead of the **** coming off the whole shaft is turning I took the **** apart but can\t get to the threads, also took the boot and the assembly around the shifter off to see if there was something holding that sucker on, but no. Has anyone had this problem before? Any ideas how to get the sucker off? Maybe a heat gun should be my next investment? Definately not good for my ego that I can not even change a flippin shift ****!!

 

keep turning. I doubt the shaft is turning also as it would snap off.

 

I think you just **** on you're self!

You're suppose to lift the center console around the shift boot UP, then take some vice grips and clamp onto the shaft. THEN take a wrench and twist the stock shift **** counter clock wise, and remove.

 

With the right tools it will turn. Biggest pair of channel locks on the lower and a big crescent wrench on the existing shift **** will do it.

 

Exactly! I know it took some force to get my shift **** off. Ended up messing up the stock up, but its not like it going back on... ever.

 

There are lots of people who does this in wrong step and end up messing up
their work...When I did my friend's 04' it was freaking hard to take it off but
when I did my '06, it gave up pretty easy somehow..

 

i took mine off last week with a pair of vise grip holding the rubber boot underneath the console and i used my bare right hand to twist the shiftnob counterclockwise to get it loose. If you channel locks or another pair of vise grip, care must be taken not to damage the oem shiftnob.

 

yeah my 03 *** was pretty damn tight. Took plenty of upper body strength and a very strong right wrist/forearm.

 

DAMN! How the hell did you manage to twist that stock **** off with you're bare HANDS?! That thing was on like a **** when I removed my brothers stock shift ****, and I used a wrench and still took some force.

When you said, you're "bare" hand. I think you meant "Bear like" hand

 

Ok guys... everyone calm down. Nothing to see here...



Seriously..this is not a big deal. We had a horrendous shift **** install on a friend's car at a meet a couple months ago. Here's how it is handled...

Before I start let me say I am not advocating this as proper process. But instead as a how-to in case the worst does happen during a **** install...

First, do not panic if you have spun the lever out of the linkage. You can thread it right back in plenty enough to bring the car to the dealer or whoever afterwards to finish the job underneath with the proper torque specs.

The reason you cannot get the **** off is because in some years/models Nissan decided to use some serious lock-tite/jb weld/epoxy thread lock-like substance between the METAL inner shift **** piece and the METAL threaded lever.

Put the shifter into neutral to make things ez on yourself (make sure e-brak is secure). Go ahead and spin the lever out of the linkage. Once you do, keep it in place and practice threading it back into the linkage. Do it a few times until you are comfortable and can now relax that at least you know you can get the lever back into the linkage.

Now, unthread the lever and remove the lever and ****, etc out of the car.

Take a dremel and cut the shift **** split down the middle. There is a hard metal piece on the inside (several layers deep, through plastic, etc.). This is what you need to get to and remove.

Once you reach the inside of the tootsie roll pop, you'll need a vice on one end and a good locking vice-grip on the other, and then just turn until you break the thread-lock.

Once you're done, clean that crap off the threads and then reinstall the lever back into the linkage. Install your new know and you're done.

Hope that helps
-Smoky

 

I have an '03 amd just ordered my Nismo! Hope I dont run into problems.

TSG

 

98 Yes I do have an 03, but I drove it this afternoon and nothing appears to be broken? If anyone has info about what the consequenses might be please tell me!!! I guess I will try to put another pair of vice grips on the shaft and see if I can not get it loose. I can not believe why they would weld the damn thing on like that! Mine is an 03 with 30 000 miles and the stock shifter looks really worn. You would think that if Nissan was that friggin **** about keeping the stock shift **** they would put one on that would last a while!!!

 

If for some reason you cant get it to work, you can always go to your local dealer as your last option. And if that doesn't work, I'll be happy to buy the gt **** from you

 

Wow I just changed mine. I got the stocker off with vice grips on the shift lever and twisted the **** with my hand. Wasn't on there that tight and mine's on '03.

 

^there you go.