Question about removing shift knob
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
Question about removing shift ****
I just bought a 2006 C6 and had a quick question. The previous owner had installed a white shift ball with the shift pattern engraved on top and I want to replace it with the stock shift ****. But, I can't figure out how to get the white one off. There is no set screw and I can't really see a way to get this one off to replace it with the stock one. Has anyone done this that could give me some pointers?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
This is the factory shifter because I can pull the boot down and see the hole where the set screw goes. I can also just make out the notch on the shaft in front of the ball. It is a small white cueball like shifter with a 6 speed patern on top. It stops just where the notch on the shift shaft does. Could it be glued on? I quess I need to take some pictures? Anyone else have an idea on removal?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,598
Likes: 1,353
From: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
if you can see the screw when you pull down the boot as you say you can , all you should need is to remove the screw and the ball should pull right up and away.
Am I missing something ?
Am I missing something ?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 397
Likes: 1
From: Mountain Top pa
i just put a ball like that on my MGW shifter, and it fit very very tight over the shifter shaft. i had to really work it to get it on far enough to get the set screw in. interestingly enough, the shift ball did not fit that tight on the stock shaft. you may have an aftermarket shifter in there...
try to see if you can turn or screw the ball around, even a little. if you can, then you can get it off.
good luck
try to see if you can turn or screw the ball around, even a little. if you can, then you can get it off.
good luck
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
There is not a screw. Just a hole in the shift shaft where it should go. The white aftermarket shift ball stops way up by the top of the shaft. Where I can see a little of the notch on the front of the shift shaft.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
i just put a ball like that on my MGW shifter, and it fit very very tight over the shifter shaft. i had to really work it to get it on far enough to get the set screw in. interestingly enough, the shift ball did not fit that tight on the stock shaft. you may have an aftermarket shifter in there...
try to see if you can turn or screw the ball around, even a little. if you can, then you can get it off.
good luck
try to see if you can turn or screw the ball around, even a little. if you can, then you can get it off.
good luck
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 397
Likes: 1
From: Mountain Top pa
The shaft on the stock shifter cannot turn (I don't think). the MGW shifter has a separate shaft that is mounted on the shifter and held in place by tightenin a clamp screw. Pull the boot down as far as you can and take a picture of the shaft, and post it so we can see it.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 14,006
Likes: 26
From: JawJa
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
The shaft on the stock shifter cannot turn (I don't think). the MGW shifter has a separate shaft that is mounted on the shifter and held in place by tightenin a clamp screw. Pull the boot down as far as you can and take a picture of the shaft, and post it so we can see it.
Here is another picture with the shift boot pulled down. Looks like the stock shift shaft to me. Any ideas?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 10,954
Likes: 261
From: Greensboro NC
2015 C6 of the Year Finalist
Yes, you are right, that is the stock shaft. Whoever put that shifter **** on probably forced it on with a little persuasion via a hammer or rubber mallet. You may have to cut that baby off. You might try a Dremel or something similar to cut it off.
Last edited by ncvette_1FUNRIDE; Dec 23, 2009 at 12:18 AM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
I really like the factory ****. Will the mgw ltd take the factory ****? If not is there a nice looking shifted avalible? I think I will try the dremel first though. Maybe someone will come along and have a better way to remove this thing.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,070
Likes: 162
From: Coralville Iowa
MGW does make an adapter for their shifter that will allow use of the factory ****. Here's another perspective - I had the factory shifter with factory **** in my car when purchased. I swapped out the factory shifter and also then used the MGW weighted shift ****. I ended up with a wonderful replacement - precise, firm, positive shifts everytime. I think the "heft" of the shift **** has something to do with it. The factory GM shift **** is something of a joke construction wise - much like the factory shifter. My opinion - back to your original question - yes, the factory **** can be used with MGW with the correct adapter.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: Birmingham AL
Thanks for the help guys. I got it off with out the dremel. I tapped two small screw driver under the edges of the shifter ball with a small hammer. I did one side then the other and mm by mm it came up until I could pull it off by hand. I have the factory **** on and did a test drive this afternoon with all kinds of driving to see if it would rattle. NO rattle at all. My old C6 **** would make noise under hard acceleration but this new one is quiet as a mouse. It is a Z06 though and only has 6000 miles. Maybe after it gets 40k on it like my old one it will also rattle a little.