Funny Story About Replacing The Shifter In My 997

[jeb758]

First and foremost I am new to this forum and found it very useful and informational.

Now, I just bought used 2006 997 4S and wanted to make some interior changes. I bought, against my wife’s wishes, a shifter boot, e-brake and steering wheel from a 2007 GT3 that was being parted out.

I have worked on my own cars for a lot of years and have never been afraid to take things a part. But, wanting to learn a little bit about this car I began researching the internet and found this forum.

After reading the forum on the shifter boot and center console removal I started my project. After reading it is difficult to get the knob off of the shifter post I decided to use a pair of Channel Locks with a small piece of rubber tubing around the shifter post and a pair of lineman pliers for leverage. The shifter knob began to come off with ease; this was too good to be true. I got to the point where I thought I could pull the boot off but found it still was on there pretty good.

So, what I did next was lean over the shifter knob, got a good hold of the shifter and began lifting. I began to really pull hard and it came off. In the process of coming off I ended up hitting myself pretty hard in the head (in the right eyebrow) with the shifter knob. I began laughing and decided I should get an ice pack to prevent any swelling. Well, as I was going into my house I felt that warm sweat feeling running down my face, I knew this wasn't good. I looked down and had blood all over my shirt, I looked in the mirror in the bathroom and found out I was bleeding pretty good. What I thought was funny before became even funnier. So after controlling the bleeding I knew this was something that was beyond my scope. A McQueen band-aid from my kid’s bathroom wasn’t going to cut it!!

I ended up with several stitches’ in my eyebrow and a very nice black eye!! My wife told me later that night that karma has a funny way of working itself out. I think it was a willed form of domestic violence!!

So the lesson learned is don't lean over the shifter boot while your trying to remove it. If this post prevents one injury it’s worth it!!

Thank you to everyone who has posted DIY articles, hopefully I can remain injury free when working on my 997!!

[phillipj]

I have to laugh at this one, If you did a search you'd be amazed how many of use have warned about this possibility. All because we have hit ourselves in the face doing it as well....

Congrats on the new car and please post some pics (when you get your stitches out.)