Couldnt get the old shifter off to install the MGW!!!! :(

BigChiefSmokem

Founding Member
Feb 20, 2002
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Jacksonville, FL
I installed my UPR shifter a couple of years ago and i guess i put too much RTV sealant on there cause now the damned thing wont come off. So now i cant get the UPR one off to install the mgw!!!! I tried using a pry bar to pry it off, pushing side to side, hitting side to side with a hammer, cussing at it. IT WILL NOT COME OFF. You'd think with a pry bar i'd be able to, but i cant get the a wedge in between the shifter base and the transmission. I've tried everything.. i think, for the better part of an hour pushing and pulling.

Any suggestions? the OEM Shifter came off farely easy with a long flat head screwdriver and some force... this thing just isnt coming off. The only way the pry bar would work was under the upper round party of the shifter. the whole tranny is moving, the shifter base isnt even budging. You think if i took her to a shop for install they could find some way to part the shifter base fromt the tranny??
 
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W/ The car off,

Put it in second, place a wood block on the shifter handle, and bang the :D out of it.(no it won't break anything)

It should eventually pop loose.
 
I wouldnt recommend the pry bar, you'll likely damage the tranny housing if your not carefull. RTV is a lot stronger than most people realize. What you need is something with a razor edge you can get into the seam where the shifter meets the housing to cut the RTV and seperate the two. Windshield replacement shops have tools with cutter blades that are angled for tight spaces like you need, they use it to get down between the window and the sheetmetal without ruining the paint so it should fit nicely. Try calling one of the shops and asking where they buy thier tools, they might even let you borrow one if the guys into cars...
 
cryptic said:
Put it in second, place a wood block on the shifter handle, and bang the :D out of it.(no it won't break anything)

It should eventually pop loose.


Haha, no, you dont understand, IT WILL NOT COME LOOSE BY JUST DOING THAT.

tomustang: I dont think i can get a chizel down in there to do that.

Dorsai: any idea what these things are called? and if i get it in there, is there any room to where i can hit it with a hammer to wedge it in there to break the seal?? Thats mainly the problem i'm having. If I cant get anything in there to bang a wedge in there to break the seal, how the hell am i going ot be able to do this?
 
Maybe a metal blade like a putty knife or drywall knife, might be able to knock it between.

Installed my MGW the other day, but it was replacing the stocker...took about 20 minutes of going back and forth, which was a pain...kept hitting the notch above 3/4. Didn't know I could put it in gear and do it!?!?

Watch how much RTV you use, dunno if it matters or not, but I used a bunch, and it seeped out the outside, so I'm sure it seeped into the inside, hope the crap doesn't fall off and end up in my tranny!
 
4u2nv said:
I used a claw hammer on the left side and gently pried it off, using the tranny housing as a leverage point. Probably not the best, but it worked and no harm done.


Problem is, theres no way to get under the shifter base, as its all flush with the transmission!! i cant get enough room to hit a wedge in between there to break the seal... i eventually gave up and put everything back together.
 
DocG2828 said:
Maybe a metal blade like a putty knife or drywall knife, might be able to knock it between.

Installed my MGW the other day, but it was replacing the stocker...took about 20 minutes of going back and forth, which was a pain...kept hitting the notch above 3/4. Didn't know I could put it in gear and do it!?!?

Watch how much RTV you use, dunno if it matters or not, but I used a bunch, and it seeped out the outside, so I'm sure it seeped into the inside, hope the crap doesn't fall off and end up in my tranny!


I bought a shifte gasket for just this reason!!
 
BigChiefSmokem said:
Problem is, theres no way to get under the shifter base, as its all flush with the transmission!! i cant get enough room to hit a wedge in between there to break the seal... i eventually gave up and put everything back together.

:doh:
I was remembering the stocker. :notnice:

Sorry.
Rubber mallet against the shifter housing may do the trick.
 
Ok, so i got it off. We had to unbolt the console and slide it back 2-3 inches to get a crowbar under the front lip of the shifter and it popped right off.

BTW, the new MGW is miles ahead of that old UPR shifter. Its quieter, smoother and much shorter!!
 
When I replaced my stocker with MGW I had the TSB tranny kit installed by my dealer, and they did a CRAPPY job of RTVing the shifter back on. It wasn't even a complete seal and I could take the shifter off with one hand.

I could go on for days about my dealer... and I have, lol.