Found the meaning of the "Demon" in Demon Key + MGW Shifters
 

Black car, out in the sun, high humidity and 98 degrees today ..

Step 1. Apply two screwdrivers prying up
Result: Snaps both ends (on top) of demon key

Step 2: Vice grips + Strength of myself + Jesus in my former marine buddy
Result: This is bullshit

Step 3: Drills center out
Result: Left side of entire demon key flies out

Step 4: Applies vice grips one more time for strength of Jesus to pull the right side
Result: Got the stock knob out, and my MGW Shift knob in

Conveniently, MGW Shifters is just a few miles from my house here in Augusta, Ga. Stopped by and despite not having a sales floor I was welcomed and even given a discount + I saved on shipping 🤷, got to check out their shifter (for a later purchase, got too many things going on right now)

Results of the day:
1: Shirt so sweaty I could wring it out.

Met some good people from a standup company I will recommend to anyone.

​​​​​​Broke 1 demon key and messed up my stock shift knob (Not that I care this thing could burn for all I care 😂

Got a nice hefty shift knob I absolutely love installed 🤙

Just when I thought I had gotten away from weird overly engineered shit when I got out of German cars..

Excuse the mess, I still have to vacuumhttps://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...ed99cf0ade.jpg
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https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...55afc21789.jpg
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I forgot to add

For the sake of being a decent well-mannered human being.. I'll agree with the name "demon"

But Ill be the first to say demon was the kindest of words used toward this device today..

Mine fought me like it was the 3rd monkey on the Ark. :smash:

Several years ago I remove an aftermarket shift knob on my m6. I wanted stock. So finally was able to remove he knob (another story :ack:) and then install with a stock knob using the demon key that I bought. The key would not just slide in. I had 2 choices, ‘hammer’ it in or file down the key so it would just slide in. I did the latter and my MGW shift installer appreciated it. I suggest anyone reinstalling the demon key not hammer it down. But as always, your decision.

I can understand your frustration. When I had my 6-speed C5s, I never looked forward to removing the demon key in order to work on the shifter.

Funny - I christened it the "Demon Key" back in '02 when I wrote up the installation procedure for the Hurst shifter in my '02 coupe. Hurst had just come out with their C5 shifter and it was my second "major" mod to the car after the Magnaflow catback installation. Getting my demon key out was actually quite easy but I had read other horror stories here on CF about members' struggles with the key that led to extreme extraction methods including drilling and BFG's - thus the Demon Key designation for my write-up. Back then, the forum allowed a certain amount of server space for members to store tutorials and other info but, once they eliminated that feature, my tutorial was no longer available, although, I still have a local copy.

What's kinda' funny is that the owner of MGW used the Demon Key reference in one of his later installation videos that I watched a couple of years ago.

Sounds like I should be thankful mine popped right out with just a screwdriver...

It's all about technique. Lay the two (flat) screwdrivers edge on to the key, and grip below the tabs, on the flat sides of the key. Using light pressure, squeeze the key between the 'drivers, while lifting up.

I really, really, really wish that had worked. Normally I'd say yeah I'm an idiot, but having read up a bit before doing this, Im gonna defend myself as not being the only one whos had to go this far 😂

When I shortened my shifter, all I did was grab the key with some small ViseGrips and lightly tap upward with a small hammer. It took a while but it worked well.

Good luck

I agree, same way I got mine out.

I did this recently as well. Mine only came out after using some needle nosed vice grips, a small pry bar placed within the vice grips, and then tapping upwards on it with a weighted mallet. Not as terrible of an experience as you had, but still not a simple procedure to swap out gear knobs.