Manual Trans Boot
 

So I replaced my Manual transmission shift boot since it was ripped and the replacement is very tight when putting the car in gear. It’s almost so tight that getting into first and third is very difficult. I ordered another one thinking it might be this particular one but got the same result. Any ideas?

Is it possible to install the boot reversed? Maybe the gussets are designed differently on the top/bottom and yours is binding.

The only other thing that comes to mind is to push the boot down onto the shift lever so it moves less with each shift. In other words, the top of the shift lever moves a longer distance than the middle section, and this extra movement may be binding the shifter. Try pushing it down on the stick, tuck the material down around the stick wherever possible. Good luck.

The last 2 leather boots I have bought from CC have both needed to be repositioned on the mounting plate because they restricted the shift lever from going into third and fifth gear.

Remove leather from the frame, using a heat gun to soften the existing glue. Glue the leather back on the frame using contact cement so that there was more leather in the "boot" srea and less on tbe frame. Essentially making the boot longer and baggyer.