Just thought I would let everyone know the pain I went through today attempting to install my Hurst shifter. Everything was going great until it came to removing the damn key that holds the **** on. I read up on it everywhere, the different methods people used to get it off. I first tryed a modest screwdriver method on one side. Then switched to a double screwdriver method. I could'nt get any grip because the pin was really pressed in....no space under it at all to pry from. I then switched to a vice grip method with the claws clamping from front to back and it still did'nt want to come out! I then switched to the vice grips positioned from side to side. I tryed the screwdriver method to assist the vice grips and still nothing. Then I tryed to gently rock the vice grips back and force side to side to ease it up. Big mistake....halfway through my rocking session the top of the key sheared completely off and flush to the shift ****. OMG was I pissed. Things go downhill from here. I managed to remove the shifter boot and get the center console out with the shifter and boot still attached. I then put the Hurst in with no issues...torque everything down with loctite and set off to try and get the boot/**** off the old shifter. I broke out the drill and drilled a hole into the soft metal key. I then installed a drillout bit that has long and thick threads to help pull things out. The bit went in and lodged in perfectly. Then I was off again grabbing the bit with all sorts of things to try and get it out. Finally the bit broke to inside the metal key! OK super pissed mode happening now. I break out another drill bit and enter recovery mode. I figure screw the damn shifter ****. At least I will still have my boot. I break out the drill and drill in back of the key to try and get the **** off. Nothings working.....i'm drilling into the metal threads on the shifter itself for a long time and the **** still does'nt want to come off. So I do what any other pissed off guy would do and grab a torch. I wrapped the boot up nicely so that it does'nt get damaged and fire up the torch. I'm going to town on the **** for about 10 minutes and it finally melts off. Happily I spray down the shifter rod to cool it down and start unwrapping the boot. First thing I see is a little smoke damage....ok maybe zaino can clean it up. Then I pull the cover off the boot more and see the stiching came apart from the heat. I'm pretty much at a nervous breakdown and throw the shifter/boot/**** away and save the shifter cover. I invert the cover's rubber boot per Hurst's instructions and tighten it down. Then I notice the cover is off and the top and the bottom. The lip is curved upwards and not sealing against the frame. Thinking this might have heat warped or got bent during the process and took it off and begin to slightly bend the top back into shape. The top is now flat and I start on the bottom of the cover. As I bend the bottom it cracks and breaks and starts to tear into the rubber surrounding the cover. Pissed I just install the damn thing and at least it does lay perfectly flat now against the frame. So I made a temp shift **** with parts of a shirt and lots of zipties. I await the opening of the Chevy dealer tomarrow to see how much its goign to cost me to get a new ****/boot/key. All I can say is the damn **** key is EVIL...............EVIL EVIL EVIL!


Thanks,
Aaron Lephart

 

I understand totally. I remember when I put my hurst on. I did like you read all the threads, but no method worked. I finally took the handle off my bowflex, looped it between the vise grip and the demon key, and basically did a standing leg press :D . I believe they use a jackhammer to put those things in. They are like you said..evil :reddevil :reddevil :reddevil

 

:eek: That's probably the worst shifter install story I've heard to date on here!

 

damn.....sounds like some shizzit that would happen to me....good luck

 

I have had my "demon pin" out several times with no trouble I only use the method where you put the vice grips on side-to-side. Then, with a rag over the front of the ****, I run a long screwdriver under the "V" of the vice grips and pry up on the vice grips with the screwdriver. It works easily every time. Maybe some are just in tighter than others though. Sorry about your pain.

 

That 1 cent part has cost so much aggravation to a lot of people.Mine broke off completely with very little effort. I drilled then tapped then unscrewed off. Sorry to hear about your nutty Hurst experience. It will be worth the effort.

 

All that trouble and you want to buy another stock **** and use the demon key again? You might think about an aftermarket **** so this will never happen to you again...

 

Absolutely! I will NEVER put that Demon Key **** back on my car! It is in a box just so I keep all the stock parts, but it has been relegated to the darkest corner of my attic until I sell the car someday.

 

There is a huge variance in how tight the Demon Key is from car to car. It practically fell out of my shifter when I installed my Hurst. I tried using the vice grips first and it kept sliding off the key so I took a screwdriver under one side of the key and very gently pried up on it. It was so loose it felt like soft butter oozing out with almost no force whatsoever.

So . . . how do you like the Hurst? :D

 

Bummer, sorry to here about that experiance! :eek: If I could make a suggestion, maybe get an aftermarket ****, as you probably will not like the stock **** on the Hurst as a very large percentage of stock ***** really magnify the "so called" rattling of these aftermarket shifters. Also, maybe you should lool at getting a Ken King shortened boot as the stock one just looks too bunched up with the shortened shifter. You could probably have both of them on your car before GM gets the stock parts in. :cheers:

 

I remember putting mine in, at 1 am with a drop light, and after a few beverages. You know, when you have that little buzz and you think you can do anything? Well, what a great time it seemed to put in my new shifter!!! Under the circumstances, it went pretty well. I also broke the pin taking it out. Finished the swap, put it back together with my stock **** and no pin, and have had no problems in 9 months. Hey, if it was easy, everyone would do it...

Greg
:cool:

 

Those pins are a pain in the azse.

The stock **** is the last choice you want on a Hurst shifter. They're way to sloppy and would make more noise then a electric shaver.

 

When I installed my Hurst, taking off the Shifter **** was the first thing I tried to do -- I figured if I got that off then everything else would be a breeze. Sure enough, the pin woulddn't come out -- the pin broke into pieces when pried, and rounded off when gripped. I aborted the install, called Ken Fitchner and ordered a replacement **** and key (they keep them in stock) -- when the parts arrived I hack sawed the shifter shaft off (with old **** attached) at tossed it (the shaft is hollow and very easy to cut). The install went easy after that.

Dennis

 

I managed to get mine off after a lot of frustration, if I was doing it again I would have removed the shifter with the **** and boot and everything attached, then used a sawzall to cut the shaft on the shifter to get the leather boot and tunnel cover off.

Eric

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: SAWZALL-everyone should own one :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

torch+inside of car=inevitable disaster.

Man, you must have been frustrated to go to that length.

One question.If there is a fly in the house do you pull out a gun? :lol:

Joe

 

C'mon Joe give me a little bit of credit :) I used the torch on the shifter **** outside the car not inside.

Aaron Lephart

 

:eek:

 

:lol: Ok then. I'd have done the same thing. I should have known better but hey.... you never know.

Joe

 

....at least your valve springs are OK :lol: :lol: :lol: