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Remove Leather Shift Boot?

12K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  invictusmaneo 
#1 ·
How do you remove the leather shift boot. I can pry up the cover panel and get to the underside of the leather boot to release the clips, but how do you slide the leather boot over the reverse trigger ring?

The shift knob unscrews and below it is a segmented blue plastic collar that looks like it could be squeezed together allowing the reverse ring to slide upwards, but I don't want to take the chance of causing permanent damage by squeezing that blue collar.

Does the entire stick shift post unscrew somehow?

Need your suggestions before I start messing with it.
 
#3 ·
But how do you remove that reverse lift tube ring? Is it held in place by the plastic blue segmented collar. Squeeze the blue collar and slide the reverse trigger up?

I want to make sure I don't squeeze the blue collar and get the reverse ring locked out leaving me with no reverse.

When I do it, I'd better park the car outside facing downhill so I can drive straight to the dealer without reverse, just in case : )
 
#7 ·
Just figured this out: the top of the **** boot is secured to the lever with a zip tie. So unplug all the electrical connections of the HVAC panel and then bull the silver and boot over the shift lever.

You will expose the zip tie. I took a picture to make sure I know where to reinstall it and then cut the zip tie. The leather boot and HVAC panel came off.
 
#9 · (Edited)
How do you remove the leather shift boot. I can pry up the cover panel and get to the underside of the leather boot to release the clips, but how do you slide the leather boot over the reverse trigger ring?
I want to remove the HVAC center console panel completely. Can you give me an idea of where you pried it up so I don't damage it. And how do the switch knobs come off? Like typical ones- pull up on them? I want to get it down to a bare panel.



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#11 ·
The knobs don't come off the HVAC cover. All you need to do is pry it up. I used a flat gasket scraper that I covered with electrical tape so I wouldn't scratch anything. And just to be safe, I also used a rag. A wide, flat screwdriver would probably work.

I'll see if I can upload some pictures.

Larry
 
#12 ·
Got Shift Boot Off

I finally got the leather shift boot off. LarryW helped in the process by showing the zip tie under the neck of the boot.

Here are the steps:
1. Remove shift knob, simply unscrew
2. Pry up the center console just enough to reveal the underside of the shift boot
3. Remove the two spring clips off the underside of the console opening. My clips just fell off into the gearbox and I had to fish them out.
4. Gently peel the glued leather away from the underside of the console rim opening
5. Cut the zip tie. My zip tie had fallen off and fell to the base of the shift lever
6. Pull the boot up and over the shift lever

I'm getting a custom Napa leather boot made to replace the thin and crispy leather OEM boot as well as a new center armrest cover. Will post when project is done.
 

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#13 ·
Just a quick note to owners of the original gear knob on removing it safely. You cannot simply unscrew it as directed in post above. Doing so may strip the screw that secures it in place. Ask me how I know this! :wallbang:

With OEM gear knob, the procedure should be as follows (per the manual):

Prise the Lotus badge from the gear lever knob, release the screw and withdraw the knob. Lotus Service Notes: Evora (2009), pg.5, Sec.VE.6.
 
#14 ·
Another quick note: Label the HVAC wires before disconnecting them. Two of us now have had non-functioning AC's after a tech disconnected the leads and plugged them back into the wrong place after center console work.
 
#15 ·
More Details

I did not have to pry the Lotus badge off the OEM gear shift knob when I replaced it with the Exige knob last year. It simply unscrewed. Perhaps there are two versions of the OEM knob?

Also I did not remove any of the HVAC wires as I only lifted the tapered end of the console cover up enough to peel off the bottom of the leather boot. The top end of the console remained intact and all the HVAC functions work while I am driving around without a shift boot. Actually the linkage looks pretty cool while shifting, Spyker like.
 
#16 ·
I did not have to pry the Lotus badge off the OEM gear shift knob when I replaced it with the Exige knob last year. It simply unscrewed. Perhaps there are two versions of the OEM knob?
No, the nature of the design allows you to unscrew it. But installing it back in the same way is the problem..since you need to access the screw to tighten the knob. But that's something you didn't experience because you were replacing it with a different knob.
 
#17 ·
going to jump in randomly, but with the OE knob definitely lift the lotus badge, unscrew the set screw and take it off that way. If you have another option, then the twist to unscrew method is fine. The OE knob slips a lot and it wouldn't take much to really muck it up
 
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