Pelican Technical Article: Gear Shift Knob Replacement and Upgrade Wayne R. Dempsey
Time: 2 hours
Tab: $50-$200
Talent:
Tools:
Bench grinder
Applicable Models:
986 Boxster (1997-04) 987 Boxster (2005-08)
Parts Required:
Shift knob, boot, finishing ring
Hot Tip:
Be careful not to smack yourself in the face removing the old knob
Performance Gain:
Cooler shifts
Complementary Modification:
Install short shift kit
This article is one in a series that have been released in conjunction with Wayne's new book, 101 Performance Projects for Your Porsche Boxster. The book contains 312 pages of full color projects detailing everything from performance mods to changing your brake pads. With more than 950+ full-color glossy photos accompanying extensive step-by-step procedures, this book is required reading in any Boxster owner's collection. The book is currently available and in stock now. See The Official Book Website for more details.
Check out some other sample projects from the book:
One of the most popular and easiest upgrades for your car is the addition of an aftermarket shift knob. Let's face it, the steering wheel, gauges, and shift knob are the three main items on the car that you have a personal interaction with. Why not spruce them up a bit: I personally find the Boxster OEM shift knob in particular to be quite boring. The shift knob I chose for this article was the MOMO Shadow carbon fiber, available for about $90 from PelicanParts.com. I also used a black MOMO Endurance shift boot, and the Endurance finishing knob that attaches to the bottom of the shifter. Installation takes about 2 hours, as you need to remove the shifter from the car (unless you have the short shift kit installed). Some slight modifications are needed to the shifter handle to make the aftermarket knobs fit, but this is relatively easy to do.
Begin by removing the existing shift knob off of your shifter (see Project 42 for instructions). If you have the factory short shift kit installed, then all you need to do is unbolt the shifter handle from the inside of the shifter (see the inset of Figure 3). If you have the standard shifter in your car, then you will have to remove it (see instructions in Pelican Technical Article: Installing a Short Shift Kit and Replacing Shift Bushings). With the shifter removed, lightly grind down the edges of the shift handle, as detailed in Figure 1. You only need to remove a very small amount of material. Measure and test fit the knob to make sure it fits on the shaft, and then install the shifter and console back into the car. You also might be able to use sandpaper and/or files to modify the shifter while it's still installed in the car, but that seems like it would be a lot of work and would create a bit of a mess in your interior.
Attach the boot to the retaining frame as detailed in Figure 2. Install the boot, place the finishing ring on the shaft, and then install and tighten the knob using the three set screws at the bottom of the knob. Finally, screw on the finishing ring, and then attach the top of the boot to the finishing ring by stretching the top of the boot over the bottom of the ring. The final result is very professional looking, and looks better than stock!
Figure 1
The factory shaft is just a little too wide to accommodate most of the aftermarket shift knobs. Using a common bench grinder, simply grind a bit of the handle down on each side until the width is about 13.75 mm. Bevel the edges of the handle so that it will easily fit inside of the shift knob, and test fit the knob on the end of the handle (short shift kit shown in the inset photo). Wear gloves while grinding the handle down: it will easily become hot to the touch.
A- Remove the shift boot retaining frame from the existing shifter. B- If you don't want to destroy your existing shifter, then you can simply order the retaining frame, PN: 996-552-655-01 (cost about $8). C- Wrap the new boot around the frame and test fit it in on top of your shifter. Move the shifter into all of the gear positions 1-2-3-4-5-R and make sure you have enough slack in the boot. D- Poke holes in the boot for the tabs on the back of the retaining frame. E- Carefully cut the excess material on the boot using a pair of scissors. F- Finally, using some 3M or Permatex Super Weatherstrip adhesive, glue the edges of the leather to the retaining frame.
Here's the finished product. The shift boot finisher shown in the photo is chrome, but it's also available in black and silver as well. The final installation looks very professional: as good or better than stock! The inset photo shows a short-cut that you can use if you have the short shift kit installed. Simply unbolt the center shifter from the metal housing and remove it so that you can easily modify it on your workbench.
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