need help installing how do you get stock **** off?

 

If it's the same as the R53 (which I'm pretty sure it is) then you just pull it straight up off.

 

pull really hard. then swear at the dog and your neighbors and pull even harder.

finally get some ice for your black eye when the **** finally pops off and you hit yourself in the eye.

 

And, if you ever think you might want to reuse the stock **** for something do not try to turn it like it's threaded, there's a little plastic piece that breaks off then the **** will spin on the shaft, usually when you're trying to grab it rapidly and your hand slips off, but it does make a nice paperweight.

 

yup, as they said, pull straight up.

however, you need to get the boot off of the center console before you pull up.

there's 8 clips holding a circular plastic holder thing for the boot. Some say you can just pull on the clips through the boot to get the boot off. I think that's impossible. I lifted the center console up, by undoing three torx screws. they're located in the two cup holders up front, and the one in the back. Then, lift up on the center console, keeping in mind that the e-break boot is attached to it as well. I used a mirror so I could see what I was doing, and used a screwdriver to push on the tabs. It helps if you have 8 hands, but since you probably dont, just start on one side and work your way around... once you've got a few done, you should be able to just pull up on the boot.

Now that you've got the boot un-attached, pull up hard on the shift ****, it'll pop off.

Then, un-attach the boot from the old shifter. there's a black ring that holds the boot onto the ****. squeeze the four clips using your first four hands, and then use your other hand to pull the ring off of the ****. The ring is attached to the boot, so don't pull on it.

re-installation is much simpler, just clip everything back in.

 

I used this to help show me how to remove the shift boot.

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

 

ok installed my jcw shift **** and it looks great and was easy too i used this to help me if anyone else is doing this
http://www.robincasady.com/ShiftKnobs/Installation.html

thanks to everyone for the help

 

flathead screw driver between the **** and the metal lip it rest on....give a twist and it will pop right off. dont pry it twist it

 

Pry off the boot from the bottom of the **** first, then pull the **** straight up.

 

I just installed the JCW shift **** and boot. The **** pulled right off, with some bit of force, as everyone has stated.

You do not need to remove the console to change the shift boot. What I did was to tug on it enough to slip a credit card in bewteen the boot base and the console (towards the rear). Then I slipped a second credit card in and spread the two apart until the boot tab separated from the console.

Then it was just a matter of pulling harder to free it. I plan to take the same approach with the e-brake boot.

 

OK. Just did the handbrake handle and boot. Took me all of 10 minutes, literally. Also easy. Never had to even think about removing the console.

 

I'm very confused about how you managed to get your boot off without taking up the center console. I just tried the credit card method just to check it out, no go.

Even when I got my console out, which btw only takes 3 screws and 2 mins at most, the tabs holding the boot holder into the console were too big for the actual console hole. it was physically impossible to squeeze the tabs into the holes. I had to wedge a screw driver in next to the tabs and deform them in order to get them to release from the console.

maybe I got some malformed console or boot holder thingy, but the way you guys are saying was abosolutely not possible on my car.

 

I don't know what else to tell you. I started at the edge towards the back of the car. I get the two cards in together and spread them apart while starting to tug up on the boot. After a bit of working with it to get a tab separated, it came loose and the rest came out when I pulled up and out on it. The new boot snapped in just fine and is perfectly secure now.

 

it doesn't matter to me anymore, i got it out. i'm just letting some people know that if your method doesn't work, taking the center console out is about a 2 min job and can save a big headache.

 

Always good to have alternatives.

 

dwf137, I can't tell from your photo or your posting. Do you have an MC or MCS or Clubman? What does Race Tripper have?

 

I have an 09 JCW.

 

08 MCS

 

So, you're talking about two different models?

 

Not in terms of the shifter, and most of the rest of the interior. I doubt the console and boots are any different between them. The JCW does get a standard shift **** that is different from the MCS, but I'll bet everything else about the console is exactly the same.

 

I just pulled my shift **** (R56) without a problem or removal of shift boot.

 

Yep, the only difference is that the JCW know has a red shift pattern, as opposed to silver on the regular MCS.

 

I just pulled me OEM shift **** and it came out fine, WITH the boot still intact to the shift ****. Clips just popped off on the boot bottom. So I had the old OEM **** and the boot in my hands. My problem is HOW I get the boot unattached from the ****? I've turned it inside out and am wondering the best way to do this.

I've read about the "butterknife" method, credit cards, etc. Any "best practice" to make this happen? I've got an 09 JCW.

 

Force.

You just need to get the ring in the boot over the flange on the ****.

 

Flat bladed screwdriver and 5 minutes of patience. All done!!! Thanks!