So, I'm bringing my car into MINI to have the shift **** replaced they will be pulling the old one off and replacing it. Since this being done under warranty (the plastic side insert on one side is very loose on mine).

I figured it would be a good time to swap out the crappy leatherette boot with a real leather red stripped replacement. The replacement is just the leather boot, no hardware at all. I saw in a previous thread how to removed the mode ring and disconnect the wire, but am unclear exactly how the bottom of the boot (widest part) connects to the mode ring, and also how the top (smallest) connects to the chrome ring that fits under the shift ****.

Guessing it can't be too difficult. The Service Manager said he would help me install, but was wonder if I need to bring anything specific. Unsure how the upper portion of the boot is held up to the chrome piece (thought maybe a zip-tie) or perhaps there is a retainer on the shift lever the prevents the boot from slipping down and the chrome piece just stack on top of it during re-assembly.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Since the hardest part (apparently) is being done for me w/the **** removal, it's a perfect opportunity to add a bit more bling.

 

I could use this information also. I want to make a snake skin shifter boot for my 2005R52s. Anyone have an old one that I can use as a pattern?

 

I have the stock pics of the shift ****.

The ring on the bottom is stapled:

https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2014-...erior/Shifter/











Around the neck it most likely if folded under and glued?

 

Here's a thread I found talking about a straight swap of a stack shifter and the JCW automatic shifter.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...automatic.html

By cycling through the pictures and explanation, the bottom retainer ring (the one stabled to the bottom of the boot) has to be pried free of the mode ring selector. Thus freeing the old boot from that part. leaving you with a part looking like the attachment below.

If you turn the boot inside out (pull it back over the shift knot, it should (could) look like the one in the thread below


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hift-****.html

The above is for a manual tranny.

Wondering if the automatic's **** is affixed in a similar fashion. If it is, by depressing the four tabs as mentioned in the above thread, that should release the shift **** and chrome collar.

Following this logic with the **** removed, the boot should slide off the lever. Then you put the new boot on and replace the ****. Pull the staples from the lower retaining ring and put that ring on the lower section of the shift boot and re-staple

Again, without someone with first hand knowledge of replacing the boot, I'm only speculating.

 

Its most likely is, without tearing into it, i bet the boot is flipped and glued on the neck which will have to be pried.

If you want the leather boot change i say give it a shot and post up.

 

You may be right about the glue. I'm hoping that manufacturing would keep the glue use to a minimum and use retainers instead. Since glue has to dry, hoping some engineer figured out a 1-2-3 assembly step that allows part to be stacked in a specific order and held in place by the last part added. (and allow for damage replacement of any of the intermediate parts should the need arise). Hoping!

Appointment is set for Mar 28 so I'll have details afterwards.

 

Ok, yea, i have torn apart shifters in the past and based off the design , i would guess they dapped some glue there. let us know how it goes.

 

I realize this is a manual shifter, but I would think they would use a similar system to hold the boot on an auto shifter. I could be wrong, but I'll post the pictures for you anyway.

 

Thanks for posting Whitey. Am dropping the leather boot off tomorrow to the Mini Svc Mgr who will install on the new assembly (The replacement part includes the ****, boot, internal mode ring insert and the center shaft).

I'll tell ya what, my Mini svc department (especially the Service Manager) is great helping with little projects and not so little projects for those of us that like to tinker and modify appearances.

Pictures will be forth-coming after the install.

 

Yea, we will see that pic from vette helps for comparison.

 

Well, at present, this is a work in progress. Sorry, but don't have pictures of the disassembly since it was done at MINI (I was there to observe), and have the leatherette replacement boot in my position now to complete the leatherette boot to custom leather boot swap before the Monday install date. So without pictures, I will try to paint a mental picture of the procedure with words.

Disassembly of the new part was pretty straight forward. The Chrome collar can be removed from the top of the boot easily. It snaps into another plastic which is located on the shaft and is positioned inside the boot. So the chrome piece and inner piece kind of sandwich the top of the leather boot between them to hold it in place. There was a bit of glue added, but the real adhesion is accomplished these two pieces. The only way I could tell there was any glue involved was when I touched the small opening of the leatherette boot it felt a bit sticky

To remove the leatherette boot from the rest of the components, the wire connector that supplies the power to illuminate the shift know can be worked through the inside retaining collar (the one that snaps into the chrome external collar under the shift ****) and finally through the small end of the leatherette boot. This frees the leatherette boot and the large plastic ring that fits into the mode ring on the console.plastic. It is actually a pretty ingenious design that the inner retaining snap ring is slotted in such a way the the larger electrical plug can be finessed through (initially the Svc Mgr though he may have to cut the wires to remove the boot).

Now I have to transfer the large plastic ring from the leatherette boot to the custom boot.

There are 15 tiny staples the hold the boot to the large ring. I have not seen staples like these before. There are very tiny and thin and have been shot through the leatherette and the 1/8 thick hard plastic ring to hold the boot in place. Using long nose pliers and a small flat blade I was able to straighten and push through each one to release the leatherette boot.

This is where I'm currently at in my project. Trying to determine a way to attach the new boot the that plastic ring. I am hoping to reuse the same staples. I have enlarged the original holes left by the staples using the smallest drill bit I own. One issue I have is the new boot is made of real leather and is thicker than the leatherette boot. So I'm not sure I will have enough of the old staple length left if I push through and try to fold the staple tips over on the inside of the plastic ring.

Failing that, I may try using some 6 lb braided fishing line and a large sewing needle basically sew the boot to the plastic ring (do a series of loops where each staple was).

Last option is using a commercial glue (one I have used to attach carpeted bunks to a boat trailer). Apply the glue to half the ring and affix the new boot. Wait for that to dry and then do the rest.

I'm at our cabin and can't post pix of the ring and staples, but will be able to tomorrow. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My only concern is the refitting of the ring into the mode ring with the thicker leather boot (may be an issue getting the snaps on the inner ring to attach to the mode ring). I may be okay since MINI uses a real leather boot (not leatherette) with the JCW model. If it fits, mine should too.

Now I know why they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

I think the fishing line sounds like the best route to take. Easily reversible if needed. Looking forward to the pictures.

 

Well, since I am a type A personalty and could not wait until I got home to start the project, after much cursing (due to lack of light and crappy tools), I managed to get about 75% of the staples replaced and crimped. And that's all I'm going to do.

Everything seems to be holding, but I will still have to do in series of loops on the red stripe portion of the leather boot. It is thicker and staples would not work. Soooooo, I'll sew that on portion just to ensure it stays centered when the boot is installed in the mode ring.

What appeared to be a simple job was a PITA.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some pix of the new boot and the tiny staples used to hold it to the ring.
Cannot believe some staple gun was able to shoot those tiny things through the plastic base. Dime coin for size reference.

Inside of the ring looks like crap since I had to scratched around each stable with pliers trying to get the staples ends bent up so I could pull them out. Like trying to pick fly$#!t out of pepper with ice tongs.

Replaced most of them and then used 10lb spider wire braid to do the rest. Put of drop of glues on each staple and thread loop just to ensure they will hold during the re-install.

Not my best work, but thankfully that mess will be on the inside rather than the outside.

Pix of completed project after install on Monday.

 

Was a pain to try and get the boot to fit. The real leather was way thicker than the leatherette that was stock. Wasn't able to reassemble as before.

The top (near the chrome collar) could not be tucked in all the way around as before, Had to pinch it on only two sides. Thankfully this is not a manual as I'd be afraid that continuous extreme flexing would pull that top free.

The bottom portion where the boot and internal ring fit into the mode ring...would not fit. Leather thickness made it impossible, got it to seat about 60% and then reset the mode ring to the console hoping I could force it further using the mode ring for more leverage. Was not able to.

Mode ring is attached to the console and is fully functional but not seated 100% as before. It's not loose nor will it pop off, IMO with normal use. The mode ring can be removed much easier now since it's fully seated, but sill quite sturdy (before I had to work my fingers around the edges of the mode ring to get it free, now, if I put my fingers on one side and pull up, the mode ring comes free). Even with close examination, one would never know anything is out of place nor fully seated.

I will leave it as is unless something happens (like the mode ring pops off LOL). In which case I can remove the entire contraption and sand the leather around that inner ring so it will fit fully into place. As is, I do not think that will be necessary.

Some Pix of the shifter with new boot.

The checkered pattern on the **** pick up the checker pattern on the JCW Blind Ring. An unexpected benefit.

 

Look good to me Dennis. Nice job.

 

Well done.

 

Nice job, boot looks great. I've changed many shift boots. To thin the leather I use a Surform plane. Use these to plane sheet rock, works well on the back side of leather too.

 

Thanks the compliment and the info (Surfoam plane). Definitely will use it if I have stability issues with this install in the future.

Disassembly and removal of the shift lever was actually very simple, so if a "re-do" becomes necessary, it shouldn't be a nail-biter.