Replacing/Removing/Installing Shift Knob

First off, I've searched all the forums prior to asking this question and haven't found much help.

 

I have an '06 legacy wagon Special Edition 5-speed manual transmission with the crappy plastic/vinyl (whatever it is) stock shift knob. For the holidays my wife bought me my first modification - an '06 Legacy GT 5MT shift knob (yeah, I know... big deal ) . So much nicer though.

 

My question is, how do I remove the stock shift knob already in place? I've unscrewed it to the point of it no longer being threaded... and I have no idea how to get the boot off the plastic collar attached to the knob. I can feel the collar through the boot and it seems like a much larger collar than that sticking off the bottom of the GT shift knob.

 

And while we're at it... how do I slip the boot over the GT shift knob once I get the stock one off?

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

Hold the boot where it meets with the knob, firmly. Pull the knob at an angle and it will seperate from the boot. It is tough the first time, but it gets easier.

Hold the boot where it meets with the knob, firmly. Pull the knob at an angle and it will seperate from the boot. It is tough the first time, but it gets easier.

 

hey, thanks for the quick reply.

 

I was giving it a little force at first but felt like I might tear the stitching around the top of the boot collar. I'll go outside and give it another shot.

 

So the GT shift knob collar, though much smaller than the stock SE knob, will hold the boot up just fine?

That is something that I have no idea about. I have only seen the GT shifter so yours may be completely different. I didn't fully read your thread and understand that the first time.

 

Hopefully you haven't wrecked your knob yet...

That is something that I have no idea about. I have only seen the GT shifter so yours may be completely different. I didn't fully read your thread and understand that the first time.

 

Hopefully you haven't wrecked your knob yet...

 

yeah, the whole turning it to the side and tugging on it didn't work... doesn't seem possible to get the stock SE shift knob off, even though there's got to be a way.

 

I see so many posters here who have swapped out their shift knobs with the LGT one and yet not one post on how to do it.

Pictures of what it looks like? Like, where the boot meets the knob.

Pictures of what it looks like? Like, where the boot meets the knob.

 

I can do that tomorrow. But all it will look like is the Special Edition Legacy shift knob attached to the boot - nothing more. I get it unscrewed off the shifter but the boot won't come off the collar.

 

I'm a little weary of trying to pry the boot of the collar as I don't want risk the chance of scratching the pleather boot

 

I guess a simpler question is: can I replace the stock shift knob on the Special Edition with that of a LGT?

I found that rather than pulling at it, it's easier to pretend you're "breaking" it where the knob meets the boot. In other words, bend the knob and boot collar away from each other until the knob pops out. Like Underdog said, it's hard to remove the first time, but anytime after that it's much easier.

I found that rather than pulling at it, it's easier to pretend you're "breaking" it where the knob meets the boot. In other words, bend the knob and boot collar away from each other until the knob pops out. Like Underdog said, it's hard to remove the first time, but anytime after that it's much easier.

 

well like the song Lola says, "I'm not the world's most physical man..." but I gave it hell and it just laughed at me. I might have even heard it mutter "girly mahn"

 

I don't know how much bigger the collar on the Special Edition shift knob is than that of the LGT knob, but it feels like a mini e-collar (those things dogs where when you're preventing them from liking themselves) under there... whereas the collar on the bottom of the LGT knob seems much slighter.

 

Do you know if I can swap the Special Edition shift knob with the LGT one?

 

Sorry for all the questions everyone, it's just that I got this real pretty shift knob just sitting on my table and not on my shifter

i had an 06 as well. 2.5i . It will come off. I put a momo knob on it it after i removed the stock. i have a pic if you dont believe me.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i171/Crucifix79/legacy017.jpg

i had an 06 as well. 2.5i . It will come off. I put a momo knob on it it after i removed the stock. i have a pic if you dont believe me.

 

yeah I've been warned about you... don't believe anything you say without visual evidence j/k

 

thanks for the pic, it gives me hope... either I've become such a p*ssy in my 30s or that shift knob collar is on steroids.

 

I'll give it another shot I guess

twist it and angle it as you try to take it off. Get mad at it. just hold on to the boot.

twist it and angle it as you try to take it off. Get mad at it. just hold on to the boot.

 

yeah, that's the trick... just did it.

 

I grabbed the shift knob with my left hand and seemed to get better leverage on it... either that or when I screamed, "who's your F*#%!n' Daddy!!" while giving it all I got...it finally caved.

 

looks a lot nicer than the stock SE shift knob

 

thanks for all your help everyone.

 

Peace.

good job. now treat yourself to a beer.

p.s. dont get into any bar fights.

for future reference, or other people reading, u can pull it apart as if u were going to break a carrot in half.

 

so, an angle. to me, it was harder putting the new one in, than taking the old one out. although... took a total of 2 minutes for everything..

 

results are nice

Let's see pics of your hard work.

p.s. dont get into any bar fights.

 

I'm a lover... not a fighter

Let's see pics of your hard work.

 

will take some tomorrow and upload them

 

I need to clean the interior a little bit too

I screamed, "who's your F*#%!n' Daddy!!" while giving it all I got...it finally caved.

 

Happy to find this because I am waiting on my new knob and wanted to see what was the easiest way to change it from the stock. Thanks guys!

its very easy i just did mine this past weekend. what i did was i unscrewed the shift knob then i pulled it straight up till the shift boot pleather was taught. Then grab the shift knob like your shifting and hold the pleather and do like the earlier posts in this thread say break it like a carrot and the plastic ring at the bottom will come out from the pleather no problem and just put the new knob in then re screw it in

Yeah it was amazingly easy to put it in it took me like 2 minutes like one of the previous posts said.