DIY OEM Shift Boot Install on Automatic

XwChriswX · 06-10-2012, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDZOwner

@xwchriswx
Is the knob fixed to the shifter, or is it free floating and you just have to remember not to pull it Up?

Its affixed with a collar that tightens the bottom and top wrap around and are threaded and there is a spring inside. I love it as my first real knob on an A/T but will need more time with it to know its faults. For now though its perfect. I wish we could lower the stalk but apparently thats a big no with our car and I wont argue with those more savvy than myself.

Which knob is it? Do you have a link?

MDZOwner · 06-10-2012, 10:44 PM

@chris - pm'd

XwChriswX · 06-10-2012, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDZOwner

@chris - pm'd

Bonzo · 06-11-2012, 09:06 AM

So I got tired of the big silver ring piece popping up and having to push it back down all the time. This weekend I pulled it back off to see what could be done about it. Turns out it's just one of those design's where Nissan got lazy. Instead of the ring having purposeful "indents" for the spring clips to catch into, Nissan just left them flat and put some velvet pad stickers on. Well as usual with sticker pads, they either move (slide) or work themselves off completely.

So the number one thing I did was remove them altogether and used some Bestine to get rid of the goo. My first thought on a fix was glue, but then I decided if I ever wanted to pull this back up that wasn't a good idea. Then I figured the best fix would be to dremel some notches into the inside of the ring for the clips to snap into. But I was too lazy for all that and was afraid I might not get the notches in the right place. I still think this would be the best thing to do, so maybe sometime in the future if plan C doesn't work.

Plan C was to cut some small pieces of male hook velcro (not the softer female loop) and stick it where the old velvet was. My thought here was that the velcro would be hard enough to make it tighter, but it would also give enough to allow the clips to spring into it and make a "catch," particularly over time as the clips wore into the velcro a bit. Of course the down side to this plan is that the velcro will do the same thing as the original velvet and move over time. To help stop this I put the velcro on and let it set on the piece for a day before putting the ring back on. Only time will tell if this fix does the trick.

somatic · 06-13-2012, 11:58 AM

glad to see this thread is still helping people

Bonzo · 06-13-2012, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somatic

glad to see this thread is still helping people

Yep. Awesome. Thanks.

I also added a step to your original option #1 that helps a great deal with the boot itself. As a matter of fact, I was pissed at you at first because it was giving me such a hard time until I did my step. I thought it was just another DIY thread that fell short of showing some of the hard steps like many do. Once I got my added step figured out, I was back to thanking you again.

See here.....
DIY OEM Shift Boot Install on Automatic

And I also took the time to swap out the dummy button on the right for the actual shift-rev button. It doesn't "do" anything, but it "looks" like it's meant for something now; it's no dummy any more.

Bonzo · 08-20-2012, 09:36 AM

So I had to get working on my silver ring issue again. My original velcro fix didn't work, so I was ready to do the dremel thing I had originally thought about.

That was until I really researched what was going on here. It wasn't just that the clips didn't catch on anything, it was that they were hardly able to catch on anything. Because of the design of these parts on an automatic, the sliver ring just CAN'T go down like it should. The issue is the black plastic shifter gate piece that is too tall. The silver ring comes down and hits the shifter gate, and can't go any further. I figured this all out when I removed both the leather outer piece, and the silver ring. Apart outside the car, the silver ring goes all the way down inside the leather wrap, almost like the stick version.

SO, I decided a new plan, but also involving my dremel. I decided since the gate piece was the problem, that dremeling it woudl allow the silver ring to go in further and have more "grab." it would also look cleaner in the end.

It was a beautiful day out so I did this out on my patio last weekend. It's been a week now since the reinstall and so far the silver ring is staying put perfectly.

I will post some pics next.....

Bonzo · 08-20-2012, 09:38 AM

Here's what it looked liked before the boot mod, as everyone's auto looked. By looking closely you can see how the silver sticks up over the leather by about 1/4" in the back.

Bonzo · 08-20-2012, 09:42 AM

Here's what it looked like after my original go at this mod. You can see the silver still sticks up in the back about 1/4".

Bonzo · 08-20-2012, 09:51 AM

Here are some pics of my dremeling on the shifter gate piece. You can see that I took out about 1/4" of it all the way around. I had to be careful not to cut down too far or I would have gotten into the support "ribs." I wanted to keep all those in place, otherwise there wasn't much point in keeping the gate piece in the first place.

Bonzo · 08-20-2012, 09:56 AM

And here's some pictures of it back together. You can see now that the silver ring is much more flush. Pictures don't show it as well as it really looks. It's now much cleaner and smoother looking than before.

Bonzo · 08-20-2012, 09:57 AM

A few more pics...

Jordo! · 11-16-2012, 05:44 PM

Yikes -- I am having this problem too and was about to try all of the workarounds you had iterated through.

I might try some double sided velcro strips to stick to each other rather than the (useless) spring clips.

I'm kind of leery of taking the whole assembly apart...

Any other suggestions, or is this just a PITA to solve if you want a boot there?

XwChriswX · 11-17-2012, 01:21 AM

^^ Thats why I just used the whole MT surround, much easier than trying to make just the boot fit.

Baer383 · 11-17-2012, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XwChriswX

^^ Thats why I just used the whole MT surround, much easier than trying to make just the boot fit.

06-13-2012, 11:58 AM	#170 (permalink)
somatic A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Grapevine, TX Posts: 1,767 Drives: 2013 GS350 Rep Power: 16	glad to see this thread is still helping people __________________ Passport 9500i HW\|Short Tail Exhaust\|Evo-r CF Fangs & Fog\|Blacked Out Roof\|Status Elite Intake 19/22\|AUTO Shift Boot DIY\|GTR Button\|Rear Limo Tint\|S2carbonworks hood dampeners\|Falken Rt-7m 20"s w/Jade Project Mu Tuner Lugs\|P:JDM Oil Cap\|Tow Hook\|SOLD

08-20-2012, 09:36 AM	#172 (permalink)
Bonzo Track Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 690 Drives: Finally, a 370Z!!! Rep Power: 3371	So I had to get working on my silver ring issue again. My original velcro fix didn't work, so I was ready to do the dremel thing I had originally thought about. That was until I really researched what was going on here. It wasn't just that the clips didn't catch on anything, it was that they were hardly able to catch on anything. Because of the design of these parts on an automatic, the sliver ring just CAN'T go down like it should. The issue is the black plastic shifter gate piece that is too tall. The silver ring comes down and hits the shifter gate, and can't go any further. I figured this all out when I removed both the leather outer piece, and the silver ring. Apart outside the car, the silver ring goes all the way down inside the leather wrap, almost like the stick version. SO, I decided a new plan, but also involving my dremel. I decided since the gate piece was the problem, that dremeling it woudl allow the silver ring to go in further and have more "grab." it would also look cleaner in the end. It was a beautiful day out so I did this out on my patio last weekend. It's been a week now since the reinstall and so far the silver ring is staying put perfectly. I will post some pics next..... __________________ Finally Able To Order 2012 Model 8/24/2011 Delivered Tuesday November 15, 9:57 am!!! 2012, Auto, White, Sport, Kick Plates

11-16-2012, 05:44 PM	#178 (permalink)
Jordo! A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2010 Location: nirvana Posts: 6,394 Drives: 2023 NATM Rep Power: 417	Yikes -- I am having this problem too and was about to try all of the workarounds you had iterated through. I might try some double sided velcro strips to stick to each other rather than the (useless) spring clips. I'm kind of leery of taking the whole assembly apart... Any other suggestions, or is this just a PITA to solve if you want a boot there? __________________ Enjoy it. Destroy it. Last edited by Jordo!; 11-16-2012 at 05:57 PM.

11-17-2012, 01:21 AM	#179 (permalink)
XwChriswX WFLYIDNNE Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: In The Fastlane Posts: 50,648 Drives: 02 GDB WRX Rep Power: 451	^^ Thats why I just used the whole MT surround, much easier than trying to make just the boot fit. __________________ Bonnie - Stage 2, Audio build coming this fall! R.I.P. Abby 3/29/10 - 3/30/14

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06-10-2012, 10:44 PM	#167 (permalink)
MDZOwner Base Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 77 Drives: 09 370z Rep Power: 15	@chris - pm'd