This might sound clueless, but how would I go about removing the gear knob, leather gear lever boot and plastic base plate from my manual Octy? I want to change a few things without breaking the stock parts! Thanks!

Bump! Somebody must know - this is one place where brute force and ignorance - my usual technique - could cost me a lot of money...

Pull the plate up and pull it inside out over the gear knob, you can then see the clip that holds the knob on, then the whole lot slides off.

OK, got you so far... It's getting the plate up that's not easy. Don't want to risk bits of flying plastic! Any special technique?

It's easy enough to get the gear lever boot off but I can't work out how to unfasten the clip to get the knob off. I am thinking of sawing an inch off my lever. Currently armed with a can of Stella and a junior hacksaw; this could end badly.

Hold the plate through the boot and pull

So you can simply pull the boot up towards the headlining and it will come away from the plate?

You can get your fingers underneath the plate at the back. (from where the handbrake lever is).

From here it is easy to lift the plate.

Dont know whether shortening the lever will work, it sticks completely into the gearknob and dont remember if it could

pushed more downward.

After lifting the plate you can unclip the base of the leather boot and remove the plate.

Lift the boot over the lever and remove the clip. Can be done by carefully opening it with a screwdriver (so it can be used again).

Carefully pull the gearknob upwards from the lever. It can stick a bit. Be carefull and dont look down on the gearknob.

Could give a serious bruise in the face when it comes off.

Exactly the info I needed - thanks. Bit dark to do it now, but I'll give it a look tomorrow.

Now what I need is a nice wooden gear knob...

Edited 8 October, 201114 yr by ndicki

If you open the ash tray I found you could get a fair grip on the edge of the plate to remove it.

Someone on here has shortened the lever successfully, but I can't find the thread... wanted to do it myself, but I don't have big enough man veg to try it....!!

sent via HTC

I am thinking of sawing an inch off my lever.

Pwor, sounds a bit painful!! :peek:

can the gaitor be removed from the gear knob on an octavia vrs?

Just had a quick look underneath the plate and couldnt see an easy way round it.

I ask as I have just bought a forge gear knob

Yes. There is a circular clip holding the gaiter to the knob - brute force and some wiggling will separate these.

I have the Audi knob in mine..

It's easy enough to get the gear lever boot off but I can't work out how to unfasten the clip to get the knob off. I am thinking of sawing an inch off my lever. Currently armed with a can of Stella and a junior hacksaw; this could end badly.

Jonno did you manage to do this?

Still no luck finding this clip :(

This is where im looking and I cant see any clip that would seperate them.

Jonno did you manage to do this?

Nope. Could never get the gear knob off although I didn't try too hard in case I broke something!

I have just recently changed my knob, for the record and anyone still struggling with this:

The thick black clip sitting atop the gaitor in poloman's picture above is what is holding the gaitor to the knob. This needs to come off, and you will then be able to slide the knob out of the gaitor. BUT I couldn't actually get it off, and in a temper I just pulled the whole thing through the gaitor, the clip let go of the leather it held and it was free. So if levering at the black clip is getting you nowhere then simply place the whole lot on the floor in front of you with the gear knob pointing up (how the gear knob looks when actually fitted) hold down the gaitor with one hand and pull hard on the knob with the other. I should point out that some damage to the very top of the gaitor may be possible in doing this, but mine was fine, and anyway this should subsequently be hidden by the new clip and knob.

With that done you should now be able to place the new gear knob down into the gaitor, then place the new black clip on the other side, with a small amount of the gaitor leather in between them. The next part is what caused me most grief, no matter how hard I tried I could not get the new black clip to click into place. After a lot of brute force efforts, bruised fingers and ego, and an annoyed wife, I finally did it and did so by wiggling/waggling it from side to side and in it went, thankfully securing just the right amount of gaitor leather between it and the new knob. Patience.

The last piece is to put the unit back onto the gearstick and secure it with the little metal clip. I actually found it easier to use the old clip then the brand new clip that came with the new knob, because my pliers are not worth a ****e and the old clip was almost tight enough from the off.

Hope this is of some service to someone else.