Corvette Central
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| First, round up your tools. You will need a small screwdriver, a couple of large screwdrivers and vice grips (pliers if you are lucky). Then use the small screwdriver to pry up the shift pattern indicator plate. It requires very little effort and should just pop right out. | |
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Next, using needle nose pliers (if you are very lucky) or two screwdrivers (one on each side) or vice grips (if you are NOT lucky), pry up the metal tab or key which holds the shift knob from turning. This can take some real work if it is the first time the tab has been removed. You may have to use the vice grips AND two screw drivers (one on each side) to pry the tab out of the knob. |
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Finally, unscrew the stock knob and remove it (it's in the cup holder). |
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| Now, we're ready
to go but first - the new handle comes with six sizes of plastic bushings
(even though the instructions said seven). One would think that since
this handle is only for the C5, that it would have ONLY the one size bushing
you need to do the installation. Nope - you have to figure out which
one is the right size. Actually it's not too difficult since four
are way too small and one is too big. That leaves the right one.
To quote the instructions: "No. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 16 are seven sizes of plastic bushings, which are provided inside the package of "Gear Knob". Select an appropriate bushing fit on the gear knob shaft. Normally, two of them will be applicable. A larger hole bushing could go through the shaft deepe and the smaller the less. Take a preferable one." Hmmmm, what the F**K? |
Thread
the bushing into the shifter knob as far as you can by hand.
The picture is of the first
knob kit's bushing. See that it did not thread all the way into the
knob. The replacement unit screwed all the way into the selector
knob.
Quoting the instructions again: "Fully turns in the selected bushing to the gear knob hole". Seems pretty clear so far. |
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| Drop the gear knob cap onto the shifter shaft and push it all the way to the bottom of the shaft. You may need to compress the shifter boot. On a stock shifter, there is plenty of room but since I have the B&M Ripper, my shifter is quite a bit shorter so I had to press the boot down. | This is the hardest part. Thread the shifter knob with the bushing inside onto the shaft. Since there are no threads inside the bushing (why, I'm not sure), you need to really press down while screwing the knob onto the shaft. After much grunting and twisting, I was able to get the knob all the way down on the shaft. Now screw the gear knob cap onto the bottom of the knob for a finished look. |
| For the last two steps,
the instructions read: "Put the gear knob
cap (1) through its shaft and follow byturning the knob on. Screw
the cap on the gear knobafter fully turned the gear knob (2) at the right
position".
and finally: "The gear knob can be removed for maintenance purpose, but the bushing will remail on its shaft. Just turn the gearknob baco on after the work is done." |
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| Notes on my installation: I am not satisfied with the tightness of the shifter knob. The bushing never really felt like it was threaded onto the shifter shaft. I had to resort to some tape around the threads of the shifter shaft to get a tight feel. I have contacted Corvette Central's help desk via e-Mail to ask them what's up. See below. |
Looks good and feels great. Now go drive! |
Notes regarding my experience with Corvette Central Customer Support: First, I tried e-Mailing them but got no response. After a week or so, I tried calling their support number (not a toll-free number, i might add). I contacted their support guy, told him the problem. He said he would research things and call me back. Well, I never got a call back. After a few weeks (I travel frequently so this only comes to my attention every two weeks or so - and besides, the weather was still crappy out so the C5 remained covered in the garage), I called then again. Couldn't get anyone - note here that their phone system will not keep you on hold forever - it forces you into voicemail. So I left a voicemail, referenced my other conversations and e-Mail. No contact. After a few more days, I called again and got a person - not the support person, but a person nonetheless. She suggested that I leave a message in "Mike's" voicemail, so I did. I also sent another e-Mail with nasty comments, just in case. Next morning at about 0630 AM (that's what happens if you send e-Mails with nasty comments), I got a "wakeup" call from a woman suggesting that I contact their supplier "APA". APA has an (800 number). So I called, talked to a guy who couldn't understand the problem so he suggested that I have Corvette Central send me another unit. I call back to CC and actually get the support guy. We kick around some possibilities for a while until I tell him "Look, this is a $50 part and I'm not willing to spend my whole life trying to figure it out - just send me another one." (or something like that). OK, so he transfers me to "Cynthia" who makes arrangements for an exchange. So, after several months it will be 7-10 more days until a replacement unit arrives. I will return the original unit and wait.Time passes - - - (tick, tick, tick)...
So, to finish this saga, My replacement unit arrived along with a pre-paid return label so I can send the faulty unit back. Pretty cool. Out into the garage I run, with the new shifter knob. I take the old know off of the gear selector, find the correct bushing, screw it into the handle, screw the handle and bushing onto the gear selector thingie (with the same or maybe even more grunting and twisting). This one fits a lot tighter - still not what I'd call real tight, but way better than the first one. I practiced a few shifts and the knob does not turn. Now, I'm a happy boy. Corvette Central came through for me. I will do business with them again.
More time passes - - - (tick, tick, tick, tock)...
The damn piece of shit comes loose all the time. I have done everything but Superglue the whole thing together. I'm pissed. So, what to do -- (thinking, thinking) -- AHA! Since I can't find the designer and beat the snot out of him, I'll replace the whole F'ing thing with a billet knob (see below) from Mid America. So, I order one and it shows up. It fits REAL TIGHT - good thing I had my trusty Craftsman Fully Adjustable Strap Wrench tool (also below). Now, the new knob is on, and it looks cool, works GREAT and it is IMPOSSIBLE to turn it without tools. Now I'm a REALLY HAPPY BOY!
This tool is really useful
everybody should have one (actually there's
two to a set - this one and a bigger one).
Get 'em at Sears
