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Show: Shift Knob Installation |
Removing the stock knob from a MINI is fairly simple. It just requires a lot of strength. Grab the knob in both hands and pull up. This is how my Motoring Advisor showed me at MINI of Mountain View. Be careful not to hit yourself in the head when it comes loose. You might want to opening the sunroof if you are crouching over the knob. The knob is attached to the shift lever shaft with a plastic sleeve. On the inside of this sleeve is a ridge that fits into the groove on the shaft. To pull this ridge out of the groove requires enough force to cause the plastic sleeve to expand. So, you have to pull hard.
My knobs come with a Whalen adapter. Unscrew the adapter from the bottom of the knob. The adaptor has a spring-loaded sleeve at the bottom and a cross rod at the top.
Align the cross rod in the top of the adapter with the notch in the shift lever shaft. Pull the sleeve up towards the thread. This allows small steel balls to retract to make room to slide the adapter onto the shaft. Slide the adaptor onto the shift lever shaft. Push down until the cross rod snaps into the notch on the shaft. Release the spring-loaded sleeve. The small balls will protrude into the groove on the shaft and prevent the adapter from being pulled off. Screw the knob onto the adaptor. It often helps to turn it counter clockwise a few turns until it seats properly on the threads. Then turn it clockwise to screw it on. You may tighten it fairly tight as the threads stop when they hit the cap on the threaded brass insert in the knob. It only needs to be tight enough that it wont come unscrewed while you are driving. Enjoy shifting with a handcrafted wooden knob. |
