Been trying to get the larger shift cable off to install an NM Engineering short shift adapter.

In the picture below, I've tried using a flat head screw driver at the 12 o'clock position of the ball joint while using the little plastic notch in the assembly at the top of the picture as a fulcrum while pulling down gently at the 6 o'clock on the shift cable itself.

Also tried using a crescent wrench and twisting, putting downward pressure at the 3 o'clock spot but it wouldn't come off either.

Any tips?

 

It just pops off. Maybe try a ball joint pickle fork or something of that sort.

 

Right, they just pop off. I think that I used a small crow bar and maybe a towel or plastic to protect the "box".

 

I was about to run to the computer and ask this same question just a few minutes ago. Instead, with some patience and trying different angles and methods it eventually popped off fairly easily.

Caveat my feedback, but my car is an F56, and I was popping the linkage off from inside the cabin.

In the R56, you're probably trying to get the linkage off working underneath the car. Mine eventually popped free when I switched to a 14mm crescent wrench. I placed the wrench across the top of the ball joint's socket (on the linkage) and then used leverage at about 45 degree angle relative to the axis of the ball and shaft. This should work from below the car, you'll just need to find a way to create leverage. The 14mm crescent wrench was the right size a "fork" to put maximum pressure on the socket, but a different size might work just as well. It did not take much force once I was using the right tool / angle.

I did not have any luck striking the linkage with downward force from above. That's what I thought the Cravenspeed instructions were suggesting I should do. The instructions just aren't very specific, I don't know if that was their intent. I have read online that in the R56, where you're working underneath the car, you could try locking pliers clamped to the linkage. Then just pull down hard.

One caution is to finish this step before you start working on the plastic clamp holding in the shifter. I was so eager to see if I could free the plastic clamp without breaking it that I accidentally skipped removing the linkage. I was able to free the plastic clamp without breaking it. I quickly realized I had forgotten to free the linkage. I couldn't use as much downward force or the plastic clamp might click back into place! Oops.

 

Some say it just pops off, but on my car it was a total pita! I think i also ended up using a couple wrenches and levering them off. Try to keep them straight on the ball when removing

 

I just changed a clutch and changed the shift box while I was at it. My cables on the transmission and the shift box were very tight ... like someone applied superglue when they assembled it. I ended up using a slide hammer from Harbor Freight ... used the same tool to remove the transaxle outputshaft seals.