Thanks. This guy's link/pix is excellent, it shows the bottom ring and tabs pretty well. That's the way to do it imo. I had to do a similar thing when I replaced the ebrake handle with one of Robin's models soom afterward.
http://coopermods.com/archives/3

 

Maybe this will help you guys...(see attached file)

 

Hi Gents,

OK, I finally got my WSM installed. It took the strength of my 275-pound buddy to pull off the old ****, I kid you not. But it's off and the WSM is in. Nice!

I was wondering if someone could tell me if the boot is supposed to articulate with the ****, or if the boot just runs adjacent to it? See the pic:

 

Your pic looks like the ring at the base of the shift boot isn't fully re-attached, and that could be a good thing, because you can adjust things a bit while it's loose...

Did you do anything to tighten the fit of the boot top so it won't slide up & down the rod? When I installed my WSM I found the original "washer" (the part into which the shifter ****'s clips are secured) inside the boot didn't hold the boot up very well, so I put a zip tie on the inside and made the top of the boot securely flush with the bottom of the WSM.

You may want to try this:

With the boot ring detached from its base and the WSM fully secured to the shift rod, fold just enough of the boot top into a zip tie (underneath) and tighten the zip to secure the boot material to the shift rod, snug against the bottom of the WSM. The zip will be out of sight, and you'll have a smooth transition from the WSM to the boot. The only caution I can offer is to not "fold in" too much of the boot material; leave enough slack so you can use all the gears without straining the boot. The boot base ring should be more fully inserted than you pic shows; it will positively "click" into place, and there will not be any gap between the ring and the gray plastic of the base surrounding it.

 

If you would like some info on removing the console and boots, see this page:

http://www.robincasady.com/ShiftKnob...otInstall.html

 

OK, very good. So I take it that the collar on the WSM itself is not tucked into the boot. I'll also get that trim ring at the base of the boot re-seated ... I didn't notice it being up until you mentioned it

 

Where the boot meets the ****, mine looks just like yours. I considered rigging something up so that the boot would remain up (as it isn't currently attached), but it seems to stay there just fine on its own.

 

yeah mine stays up too but i didn't like how it kind of flops back and forth and is never entirely centered. I ended up putting on the shifter shaft 4 garden hose washers and that seems to do a decent job of sandwiching the boot to the bottom of the shift ****.

 

Rubber washers... brilliant!

 

+1

Time to raid the hardware store. Thanks for that one!

 

Hey, another point on the Whalen Shift Machine: the shifter's mass and form definitely improve the shift-ability of the MINI. I've been tracking my car pretty heavily this year and missing shifts was a problem that plagued me several times. On Wed and Thurs at Watkins Glen, with the WSM installed, the shifter glides into position without my having to think about it. What a great surprise! Thanks Doug!!!

 

There are some cute girls working at my local MINI shop. I don't know how strong they are, but I'd let them try to pull my **** if they asked real nice.

 

interesting that it was so difficult to get the shift **** off...

Mine came right off while I was racing on an autocross track this last weekend. It went limp and floppy and I couldn't get it into gear!

 

They all fit differently. Some fit so loosely that they come off when you DON'T want them to (as you well know!); others nearly take an act of God to remove. Most are somewhere in-between.

 

Sorry to hear this.

I hope this never happens to me!!

 

no kiddin! I have no idea how it happened. It doesn't come off easily now but at the time I just grabbed it to shift and it popped right off. Maybe it was competitive sabotage?

 

I just installed my Whalen Shift ****, my only question now: Is the shift boot suppose to remain almost free floating or is it suppose to snap back into place some how?

 

The boot stays floaty, but if you look back in the WSM threads, there have been a few ideas advanced as to how to get keep the boot connected to the ****, if it makes your install more to your liking. Enjoy the WSM .. it's great, isn't it?

 

Installed my Whalen **** today. Pain in the butt as mini did not do us any favors in going to one piece **** and boot. Getting the **** off was relatively easy but getting the boot assembly out of the base and getting the **** off of the boot was a hassle. But then I've never been particularly handy. However, the result is well worth the effort. I'm not sure why but it does seem to shift more smoothly and from a tactile standpoint there is no comparison.

 

hmm, I just pulled the **** off and it came right off the boot....really simple.

 

Gotta be careful with that method, though. I've heard from one guy who tore the boot a little bit when he did that.

 

True...I had my left hand around the boot and pulled the **** with right hand, so it just unsnapped from the boot a-okay.

 

no fooling: i struggled for 30 min and then called the dealer to ask how to get the &%$#@! thing off, and he said:
-- unsnap the shift-boot-ring at the bottom,
-- open your sunroof if you have one,
-- take your shoes off and STAND with one foot on each seat, and
-- PULL STRAIGHT UP.
That's the ONLY way mine was ever gonna come off ... but the new Whalen is WAY worth it. (Thanks, Doug!)

PS: I arrived at the same conclusion as AltoClef, trial and error: turn the boot inside-out and upside-down on the end of the shifter, zip-tie the last half-inch of boot (small opening down) about two inches below the top of the shifter, and turn the boot right-side-out gently as you lower the ring back onto the shifter ... plenty of slack left to snap the ring back to the console, and the boot-top is tight and tidy to the bottom of the ****.

 

When the **** comes off...look out

 

OUCH!