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      10-14-2021, 11:50 PM   #1
anyyw
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Previous owner glued shift knob

Spent what felt like an eternity struggling with shift knob of the z before giving up with a bruised ego. I took a closer look under the shift knob and found that one of the previous owners applied a blob of jb weld under it.

Any ideas on how to get the thing off other than using it as a good excuse for a short shifter?
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      10-15-2021, 12:58 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anyyw View Post
Any ideas on how to get the thing off other than using it as a good excuse for a short shifter?
Cut it off with a dremel if you don't need to reuse it? I mean the knob itself not the lever of course.

But I like the idea with SSK way more!
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      10-15-2021, 01:48 PM   #3
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Previous shop that did a clutch on my M epoxied the knob back on.

Destroyed it with a dremel. No other way to get it off in my experience. Could have saved the shift arm if I wanted to - put a UUC and ZHP knob in anyways.
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      10-16-2021, 08:37 AM   #4
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Good point on what gets destroyed in removal attempts. Start by carving up the shift knob, it's far easier to replace. Having said that, I'll also say that the AutoSolutions SSK has been the best thing I've done to my Moupe.
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      10-16-2021, 08:40 AM   #5
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Vice-grips. Surely the glue will not be stronger than the metal threads. I assume you are replacing the shift knob anyway.
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      10-16-2021, 03:33 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Murf993 View Post
Vice-grips. Surely the glue will not be stronger than the metal threads. I assume you are replacing the shift knob anyway.
The knob is not threaded on, it's a snap fit. Twisting it could damage the shaft

A slide hammer may work
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      10-16-2021, 04:24 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pungo View Post
The knob is not threaded on, it's a snap fit. Twisting it could damage the shaft

A slide hammer may work
You said "shaft"....sorry, might be the rum talking.
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      10-16-2021, 06:31 PM   #8
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Just be careful yanking on that bad boy or you’ll be looking like Lloyd Christmas

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      10-18-2021, 03:35 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wdb View Post
Good point on what gets destroyed in removal attempts. Start by carving up the shift knob, it's far easier to replace. Having said that, I'll also say that the AutoSolutions SSK has been the best thing I've done to my Moupe.
I had the same thought, but Ron mentioned that he's busy until November with moving his shop, so it'll unfortunately be a while before he can start.

A liittttlllee bit worried about taking a dremel to the shifter for now. The only difference between the current one and the replacement one is just the lights. Probably not worth all of the shifter dust I'll have to clean out.

Will probably just rip it off with some clamps after replacing it with the ssk when that eventually happens!
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      10-18-2021, 06:47 AM   #10
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If you know what sort of glue was used, you could try contacting the manufacturer to see if they can recommend a solvent to loosen the glue.
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      10-18-2021, 07:45 AM   #11
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Yikes:

https://www.jbweld.com/faqs


HOW CAN I REMOVE J-B WELD AFTER IT IS FULLY CURED?
When fully cured, J-B Weld can only be removed by grinding or filing it off, or by directly heating the product above the 600º maximum temperature threshold.
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      10-18-2021, 07:50 AM   #12
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Some tips here that you can review:

https://fixitmanblog.com/how-to-remove-jb-weld/
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      10-18-2021, 01:18 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anyyw View Post
I had the same thought, but Ron mentioned that he's busy until November with moving his shop, so it'll unfortunately be a while before he can start.

A liittttlllee bit worried about taking a dremel to the shifter for now. The only difference between the current one and the replacement one is just the lights. Probably not worth all of the shifter dust I'll have to clean out.

Will probably just rip it off with some clamps after replacing it with the ssk when that eventually happens!
hey, at least yours doesn't come off when driving
mine currently keeps detaching at the very moment you'd need it most. A short shifter kit is waiting in the garage and I've got all the parts ready but I don't have time right now to work on it
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      10-19-2021, 03:01 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Huz-Z View Post
Some tips here that you can review:

https://fixitmanblog.com/how-to-remove-jb-weld/
Thanks! Though given the position of the shifter and how the jb weld is under the knob, it'll be pretty hard to get any solvents in there and any mechanical method I can think of will probably result in both a dent in the dash and the headliner. I'll definitely give the heat gun a go this weekend
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      11-19-2021, 10:55 PM   #15
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If not glue, then....??

I was almost in a similar situation. The shifter on my Z4 started becoming a little loose. Dealer offered to glue it on for me. I ended up getting a replacement knob, and when I went to take off the original, the plastic retaining ring all just about disintegrated. The original knob matches the tan leather interior perfectly. If I wanted to reattach it, what would be the best way to go about it without ending up with a glued-on knob?
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      11-28-2021, 11:50 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by graysquirrel View Post
I was almost in a similar situation. The shifter on my Z4 started becoming a little loose. Dealer offered to glue it on for me. I ended up getting a replacement knob, and when I went to take off the original, the plastic retaining ring all just about disintegrated. The original knob matches the tan leather interior perfectly. If I wanted to reattach it, what would be the best way to go about it without ending up with a glued-on knob?
I know I'm a bit late with this response, but I thought I can help.

So all BMW manual transmission shift knobs snap onto the gearshift shaft. There is a slot milled into the top of the shaft that fits an internal block molded into the top of the interior of the shift knob cylinder. The fit between the slot in the shaft and the block in the knob cylinder is known as an interference fit, where the block slightly deforms as it is snapped into the slot.

Over time and use, the plastic degrades and eventually the knob becomes loose and can pop off the shaft when shifting from 1st to 2nd, or 3rd to 4th. It is a classic issue with BMW manual transmissions, because the plastic block eventually starts to break away from the top of inside of the knob's cylinder. The only non-damaging repair is to replace the shift knob with a new OE BMW shift knob. Non-professional repairs, which the subject of this thread is about, some dumbass uses an adhesive to affix the old broken knob to the shift lever shaft. This type of repair ruins the original intended design of the knob fitment. Again, the only correct repair is to replace the knob with new original equipment BMW knob.

There are aftermarket knobs that solve the problem. I use a Momo shift knob to replace the BMW OE knob, even on new a BMW, because the knob breaks and slips off eventually. Momo uses three small pointed set screws to affix the knob to the shaft. Other brands use other mechanical methods as well.
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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