DIY : M6 shift knob removal on a 2013

[gringo]

Originally Posted by camguynj

What yr is your car? The screw locks and how you remove them are different depending on year

I have a 2015. That means I have the single torx screw on the side securing the shifter to the shaft However, trying to remove the collar to access that screw is proving to be nearly impossible.

When I get my little mechanics mirror and point it up into the underside of the collar, I can see the little black tabs in the collar sitting in the grooved pocket on the shifter shaft.

The thing is, I don't know how they release from the shifter shaft. Do they retract when you apply downward pressure on the collar? It seems this would be counter intuitive because if you press the collar down while turning it, the tabs would get locked down even further into the grooved pocket on the shifter shaft.

If I apply upward pressure on the collar while turning it, this seems to work a little better. However, the tabs still won't clear the "step" inside the grooved pocket on the shifter. It just gets stuck there and won't turn anymore. I don't know what the secret is.

Maybe jamming a very small screwdriver underneath the collar to release the tabs might work, but I don't want to fark things up if I don't have to.

[camguynj]

Check this out. The chrome collar gets rotating cc slightly

[chef-beavis]

Should be a lift and turn to get the tabs over the hump, then continue to turn while pushing it down.

[gringo]

Originally Posted by chef-beavis

Should be a lift and turn to get the tabs over the hump, then continue to turn while pushing it down.

So, it's a lift and turn to clear the hump in the groove?

The problem is, when I try to lift the collar, the bottom of the shifter knob gets in the way. Not much clearance in there to lift it up that much.

I remember someone saying to treat it like a medicine bottle top. However, with those you press down while turning.

Alright, I'll try pressing it upwards against the bottom of the shifter as much as I can to see if it will finally turn.

Thanks chef-beavis!

[chef-beavis]

Yep look closely at the photo of the groove on the bottom of my shifter knob and you should be able to see which way you have to twist it when you lift it and how far you have to lift it.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Originally Posted by gringo

I remember someone saying to treat it like a medicine bottle top. However, with those you press down while turning.

Alright, I'll try pressing it upwards against the bottom of the shifter as much as I can to see if it will finally turn.

That was me! I know you press down while turning for a medicine bottle, I just was using that example because you want to apply the turning motion WHILE pulling upwards. Much like how with a medicine bottle you have to turn WHILE pressing down. Because it's not just lift up THEN turn, it's lift up AND turn.

Make sense?

[gringo]

Alright, just as a follow up to this little mini ordeal I was having, lol, I finally was able to get the shift collar detached from the shifter shaft.

What I eventually ended up doing was turning the collar counter clock-wise with one hand while reaching under with the other hand and pushing up from under the bottom of the collar.

As soon as I did that, the collar turned and then slid down the shaft. I think trying to do everything all at once in one motion while turning the collar and pressing up (or down in the case of a medicine bottle top) made things worse for me.

So, if it doesn't want to budge doing it like a medicine bottle top, try doing it my way to see if that works better. It did for me.

[ldeardorff]

Is it possible to change the knob without changing the actual shift assembly? The knob I want is threaded and I wasn’t sure, but didn’t think it was a threaded stem on the shifter? Any help would be appreciated!

[chef-beavis]

Thru hole on the stock shifter stick. No threads.

[jokrz187]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

Treat it like a medicine bottle with a safety cap. While sitting in the driver's seat, pull upwards, and twist left, this let's it do a quarter turn, then you just lower it down the shaft to get access to the screw.

Super easy.

Just did this my self and this was the perfect analogy for taking off the shifter. Then there was a torque 25 screw and that was it. Got my shifter from speed Dawgs. Fits amazing.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Originally Posted by jokrz187

Just did this my self and this was the perfect analogy for taking off the shifter. Then there was a torque 25 screw and that was it. Got my shifter from speed Dawgs. Fits amazing.

Glad that helped