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Shift Knob Removal - No Damage

haohmaru

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Good news everyone, you can remove the shift knob without destroying it, with the right tools.

I used a large pair of channels locks, vice grips, a belt and a tshirt.

Honestly was not that difficult.

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Leroy819

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What aftermarket knob are you putting on?
Did you have to heat up the loctite before removing it or just power through it?
 
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haohmaru

haohmaru

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What aftermarket knob are you putting on?
Did you have to heat up the loctite before removing it or just power through it?
No I didn’t use any heat and I don’t think it was needed.

Knob: Billetworkz
Shifter: Stillen
Boot: @Customebrakes on Instagram

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Who.Am.Eye.2716

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The method you used to remove the knob is what I am going to do.

Can you do a review on the Stillen? Not much info on Stillen in the Z. Does it shift smoother over stock, NVH increase at rpm ranges?

Thanks
 

Mugzilla

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Good news everyone, you can remove the shift knob without destroying it, with the right tools.

I used a large pair of channels locks, vice grips, a belt and a tshirt.

Honestly was not that difficult.

IMG_9236.jpeg


IMG_9237.jpeg


IMG_9239.jpeg


IMG_9234.jpeg
Style point: If you would have flipped your channel locks OVER, when you push, you would be tightening the jaws, instead of relying on your grip strength.
 
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haohmaru

haohmaru

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I uninstalled the Stillen shifter for the time being. The Billetworkz knob and boot retainer work fine on the OEM shifter and looks nearly identical to the stillen, just slightly taller. You just need to remove the spacer from the OEM shifter. See pic.

The worst part of this job is the linkage boot under car. You need some magic hands to get it back on.

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haohmaru

haohmaru

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The method you used to remove the knob is what I am going to do.

Can you do a review on the Stillen? Not much info on Stillen in the Z. Does it shift smoother over stock, NVH increase at rpm ranges?

Thanks
The stillen shifter, at least the one I received, has a few bugs. Once I work them out with Will at Stillen, I’ll post a review.
 

Meg_Z

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I just completed my shift knob replacement's it was a PITA. It does look like they used some type of loctite. I tried a belt wrench it didn’t budge it eventually I had to just use large channel locks. Even with OEM shifter covered up I damaged it. I used the bottom part of the OEM shifter and painted it gloss black to match Billetworkz knob.

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haohmaru

haohmaru

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I just completed my shift knob replacement's it was a PITA. It does look like they used some type of loctite. I tried a belt wrench it didn’t budge it eventually I had to just use large channel locks. Even with OEM shifter covered up I damaged it. I used the bottom part of the OEM shifter and painted it gloss black to match Billetworkz knob.
That looks great!
 

beergeek

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The stillen shifter, at least the one I received, has a few bugs. Once I work them out with Will at Stillen, I’ll post a review.
Could you elaborate on the issues you had with the Stillen shifter?
I’m looking at the Stillen or Z1.
 
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haohmaru

haohmaru

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Could you elaborate on the issues you had with the Stillen shifter?
I’m looking at the Stillen or Z1.
There’s a nylon cup that the ball of the shifter sits in, it should be loose and allow the shifter to move freely. The Stillen shifter was stiff and could barely move around in the cup. When it was installed, shifting required more force and the shifter wouldn’t snap back to center like normal. Everything was greased correctly, I swapped the OEM and stillen shifters a couple times to make sure.

Stillen said this wasn’t normal and they RMA’d it. I’m waiting to hear back if there was something wrong with it.
 

Supremekai

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I just completed my shift knob replacement's it was a PITA. It does look like they used some type of loctite. I tried a belt wrench it didn’t budge it eventually I had to just use large channel locks. Even with OEM shifter covered up I damaged it. I used the bottom part of the OEM shifter and painted it gloss black to match Billetworkz knob.



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The stitching isn't centered..
 
 






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