Shift boot install what do i need to know ?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
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Shift boot install what do i need to know ?
Since the snow is piling up outside, I got to thinking about a "Spring-time" job and I thought I'd ask the experts, I bought a custom 4L-60 automatic shift boot from Redlinegoods.com, and it seems like the new leather is somewhat thicker than the 2003 OEM shift boot material and I was wondering if this is going to pose a problem come install time ? I also haven't been able to find the plastic retainer that holds the new shift boot to the gear selector fixture. Any advice is greatly apricated ! 
Instructor
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 215
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From: Hydro, Oklahoma
You need to overlap the edges of the slit in the boot over the long oval retainer. Look at the old one to see what I am talking about. The slit in the boot I got had to be enlarged quite a bit. I glued the leather to the retainer with E6000 cement. It was nearly impossible to hold in place until I remembered that I had a lot of small hemostats that I could clamp it with. It is especially difficult (and critical) to get it properly glued at each end. In case you don't already know; there is a staple in the front of the shift **** that you need to pry out so you can remove the ****, then, turn the old boot completely wrong side out to reveal the zip tie at the top that keeps the boot fastened to the shift lever.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Dunstable MA
St. Jude Donor '05
The plastic retainer you need will be from the OEM boot.
And if you don't have surgical instruments just hanging around your house, maybe document clamps will do.
And if you don't have surgical instruments just hanging around your house, maybe document clamps will do.
Last edited by Rich Silvestris; Jan 18, 2024 at 12:30 PM.
Thread Starter
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Great, I have a few of the plastic hemostats from my time in NYC, I will try that, and is the small ziptie at the top I assume will need to be replaced, is that something easily obtainable ? I just don't want to get it half Off-On , and run into problems, and rich did you find the boot retainer very difficult to remove and re-use ? 
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From: Dunstable MA
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,117
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From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,174
Likes: 125
From: Dunstable MA
St. Jude Donor '05
You have the OEM style shift ****. I've converted mine to a ball style. The adapter for the conversion fits over the shifter and it is a larger diameter. I tried using a ziptie to secure the boot, but then the folded over leather would not fit inside the OEM grommet. So I abandoned that and just shoved the leather up into and over the top of the grommet and locked it down with the shift ****. If it doesn't hold, I'll add some glue, but it seems pretty solid.
The opening at the top of the new boot was too small to fit over the adapter, so I cut off about 3/8". It worked as far as that goes, but I find I can no longer put the shifter in 1st. I don't go there anyway, but it's disappointing. If I had it to do over again, I'd just push it down hard over the adapter instead of cutting.
For you, I think this suggests putting the zip tie as close to the top of the boot as you can. Don't take my word; fit and try!
One thing you will encounter is that the bottom of the boot fits exceedingly tight around the base. I decided to cut off the little aligning tabs that go through holes in the OEM boot. That helped.
Boot inverted to install zip tie
Grommet will not fit over adapter and folded leather
Boot Installed
Last edited by Rich Silvestris; Jan 21, 2024 at 01:50 PM.