Loctite...UGH!!!

[ToddUGA]

My reverse lockout broke and needed replacing. So I buy a new one and wouldn't you know it the previous owner put on the aftermarket shift knob with loctite. I can't get this sucker off no matter how hard I try. I even bought a strap wrench but that sucker ain't moving. And in the process of trying to get the knob off I managed to break the shift boot trim. What a craptacular day.

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[2017GBGTPP]

If they used red, you need heat to remove it. Use a heat gun if you can.

 

[ToddUGA]

I'm not sure what they used since I bought it used. But if I had to guess I'd say red due to the difficulty.

I did manage to get it to turn a couple of times but now it seems like it is stuck. I'll give it a few more tries tomorrow. It's been in the high 90s down here in Georgia so I'm worn out from fighting it. I'll grab a hair dryer and see if I can add some more heat to help get it loose.

 

[1 old racer]

If it is red a hair dryer will not produce high enough heat to weaken the compound. you will need to find a heat gun. Apply the heat to the shaft just below the knob and while you are applying the heat twist off the knob. The ideal temp to break down the red loctite is 350f, however it will weaken at temps starting at 250f

 

[BlackandBlue]

If you managed to get it to turn then the heat is not as important. Have you hit it with some WD-40?

 

[ToddUGA]

So I gave it a few more tries today. Apparently the whole shifter assembly turns now. Not wanting to break anything I'm going to stop trying to take it off by force.

My new plan is to drill a large enough hole in the top of the knob that I can use a heat gun to heat up everything enough to screw it off. I have to be careful not to drill too deep as to damage the actual shifter metal assembly. I think it will work. Just need to buy a heat gun now.

 

[ToddUGA]

OK, waited until the rest of my parts came in and gave it another shot today. And I'm happy to report success. So if anyone else runs into this problem here's what I did.

First I used a dremel to remove the top part of the shift knob hoping to get the heat gun to heat everything up enough to get it off. So here's what that looked like...

IMG_0153

• ToddUGA
• Aug 24, 2019

So I removed the remaining thin layer of plastic on top so that I could get to the actual shift lever and metal collar. I then used a heat gun to try and get it loose. After what seemed like an eternity I finally felt it start turning. Much to my surprise the heat had heated up the plastic shift knob to the point where it came off but the threaded collar was still attached. Luckily that gave me the perfect angle to apply heat to the entire collar where after a couple of minutes the loctite came loose and I could easily remove the collar. Success!

IMG_0154

• ToddUGA
• Aug 24, 2019

I then cleaned up the threads, installed the new reverse lock/boot/trim and installed my new shift knob. My shift knob came with a nut that helped adjust height as well as lock it in place. After playing with the height I was done.

IMG_0155

• ToddUGA
• Aug 24, 2019

So hopefully this will help anyone else that runs into this issue. Now I need to clean up the interior to get up all the dust from the dremel.

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