Replacing shifting knob and leather covering

I would like to replace the shift knob and leather cover on my manual shift 1981. I'm having a devil of a time trying to figure out how to remove the existing cover and install the new one. Any suggesting!!

Pat

Show a picture Pat

A picture would not help it's where the leather tucks into the base on the council. I'm at the point of cutting out the old to examine how it is attached.

Pat

Well a pic may help because if its where I think, I took the plastic auto plate out and installed a standard plate with leather.

Is it at the console like mine

here is the piece I took out



unfortunately I did not take a pic of the underside where 2 little levers are. they slide and lock it into place

Maybe someone else will have a better pic but it comes down to having to lift the console

There are some potential problems with this procedure. The knob is removed from the lever by just pulling it off. But...

"Just pulling it off" can result in problems with the shift linkage.

There is a rubber mount with a plastic ring around the forward shift rod just forward of the box containing the shifter. Pulling up can easily damage the plastic ring, causing sloppy shifting.

The forward end of the forward shift rod is held to the torque tube by a plastic-lined ball joint. Pulling up/pushing down can pop the ball joint cup off the ball, causing loss of shifting.

If you are certain that you are going to replace the knob, cutting it off is probably a good approach. This will let you see the notches on the lever that retain the rubber knob.

Replacing the knob is done by "just pushing it on". Reread the dangers above. Try to hold the lever while pushing, so as to avoid pressure on the shift linkage. Lubricate the lever and knob with dish-washing soap or something similar.

It used to be common to shorten the shift lever during this operation. If you use a high-speed cut-off wheel, do the cutting inside a cardboard box to protect the car from sparks and abrasive dust.