I wanted to take a minute and shoot a quick video here to give an example as far as how to remove the gear shift indicator of a, this one's a tilt column. However, this process will work on a tilt and a non tilt. Um, so when we ship out our columns here after we recondition or refurbish them, uh, we remove the, the, uh, the shift indicator on it. To make sure that nothing happens in transit here, okay? So, uh, when you receive one, you'll have to install this on your end of things here, okay? So this is a quick video showing you how to, one, remove it safely, if you're working on your own, as well as install it, again, when you receive one of ours.
As far as tools, as always: heat management. I have my heat gun and tweezers. Tweezers are a tool that you just, you'll use it all the time once you get a nice set of them. I have multiple pairs. When it comes down to removing this gear shift indicator, don't use a screwdriver. Do NOT use a hard item. Don't use something that you can kind of wedge in and get it. You'll break these things every time. Get yourself a nice set of tweezers and run from there, and I tell you what, you'll be happy with the end result.
Heat.... now this has already been disassembled and reassembled a couple times, so it doesn't really need it. However, for academic, for educational purposes, let me just start from the beginning. I turn my heat gun on, and all I basically do is just heat up the entire indicator. I'm not going to heat as much as I would normally here. And I'm not going to overheat as well. These heat guns put out a ton of heat and they can melt stuff, they can destroy stuff. You've got to really keep these things moving all the time.
The purpose behind heating up this plastic is that you're about to pull out a metal clip. And this metal clip kind of rust welds itself in place. And if you go in there and try to force old plastic to move and give, the metal will beat the plastic every single time. If we heat the plastic up, it'll become more pliable and less likely to break or crack as you're removing it here.
Now, I grab my trusty set of tweezers right here...all we basically do is with my tweezers. I'm gonna reach in and... There's a little plastic piece in the middle here, so as you reach in, you squeeze down this little clip, slowly slide this out, and then remove your top piece.
To put it back on, or I should say to reassemble, you have two little hooks here. And your gearshift indicator also has a little hook on the inside of it right here. And you're going to hook that on there. So basically, this is on the passenger side that you're hooking this on. We're going to hook and then basically rotate back toward driver. So now you're hooked into place. From here, again I take my little clip....Now this clip right here, itgoes in a very specific way....The V faces in and the little bend on the clip it actually goes on top because that has a little ridge that it basically rides in as it goes in it clips into place. From here I squeeze it off to the side because that plastic retainer portion is right in the center right there. So I slide this in, and do it slowly. You probably won't get it on one run. So slowly bring it in.
It looks like I didn't get it completely seated on this side, so let me pull it back out. Reconnect. And there she goes. Yep. And then pop. Boom. Alright, good to go! This is an older AMC style gear shift indicator. The newer ones will have two clips and the older ones one. Same application, same process. Now, these, these columns, they have a number of different little gear indicators, however, this process will work with any one of them. All you're doing is pulling the clip out and putting it back in. But take your time, take your time, take your time. And tweezers are your friend when it comes out of this application here.
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