Does the manual shift knob just pull off?
 

83 US 5 spd, does the shift knob just pull off?

I think the boot has a plastic frame with a couple "detents" holding it into the console, but I've never gotten the feeling the shift knob is remotely willing to come off.

Danglerb I don't know how close these are with Mercedes I have worked on but I am restoring a 1980 SL and installed a new shifter in it and it had a 14mm lock nut at the bottom that kept the shifter from turning either way (in or out) as soon as I backed that nut off the shifter screwed right out.


Brian

The shifter lever has a notch in it that a rubber nub fits into to hold the knob in place. If your shifter knob has never been pulled off before it might give you a bit of a struggle, but it will come off with brut force. As mentioned above you may want to first loosen/free the boot from the console so you don't break it.

Upon re-installation, you really need to whack it on there. I put a towel over the knob and hit it with a 3lb dead blow hammer until fully seated.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info guys. Thinking now about raising up the leather to expose the bottom of the knob and maybe giving it shot of wd40 before the serious pulling starts.

While I am in there I may put in one of these from Carl,

http://www.928motorsports.com/parts/shifterballcup.php

WSM says it goes back on with glycerin and gasoline, but doesn't say much on the how to get it off.

Knob on the first car came right off, no fuss, no pulling struggle. Second car I decided the knob was too nice to take off and recover for now.

WSM says
Shift Knob - Install with glycerine/gasoline mixed 1:1.

Not what I plan on starting with.

Manual Transmission/Controls, Case 34 - 8 c
is the exploded diagram of the shift linkage, next page lists the parts, but not part numbers, and a short comment on removal and installation.

I'm thinking about a bit of WD40 right now, but that might play hell with ever getting it off again, and I may want to shorten the shifter at some point.