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After 14 years of wiggling, the metal shifter tube that the shift knob screws onto has finally and accidentally been pulled loose from the rubber shaft it was on, and I can't get it back on!!

I tried putting ice around the rubber and heating the metal tube, but that didn't work. Getting both wet with water only helped some but not enough.

It has to be lubricated some way but I need a lubricant that will degrade after a few hours of use so that it won't slip back off. What would work? Silicon? Vaseline? 3-in-1 oil? I don't want to try anything that might just make it more slippery permanently, it needs to stay on WELL after I get it on.

Has this happened to you or perhaps someone you know before?

Not many ideas here chief. Quite odd though. Reminds me of the time I used a long screwdriver to shift the AT in my friend's Firebird.

Is there some kind of lubricant that dissapears and leaves little residue?

Maybe some soapy water. Perhaps some with dry soap like soap flakes or something. I'd say a glue of some sort but it would be bad if it got stuck halfway.

I was thinking soap. Actually, oddly enough shaving cream popped into my head since it's really just a foamy soap. I'll see if that works, but I'm hardly hopeful. I'm still open to suggestions.

I've found silicon spray extremely useful in situations like that, sometimes it was needed to get intercooler couplings together. I do believe most silicon sprays evaporate harmlessly after use.

Okay, THAT sounds like a sure hit, I am definitely going to go try that right now.

SILICON, my friends. THANK YOU free5ty1e. It's on all the way and went easily. I just hope the silicon dries before I have to drive my girlfriend home. I'll put the shift knob back on when I have to go.

I think that this metal tube has been wiggled half way off for a while, I'm expecting shifts to be much easier now. If so, I'll let you know. thanks again.

I don't see why you would have to lube it up to put it back on... but if you did lube it up, it will definitely come back off again.

I suggest you take it back off, wipe all the lube off of it, both the rubber stub and the shifter, then put a bunch of super glue on the stub (or use RTV like me) and get it back on there good and let it dry overnight. Then it will be on there and should theoretically never come back off.

Crap it came off again, but it was so very necessary to lube it to get it back on. free5ty1e was correct about the evaporative properties of silicon lubricant. I'm trying to think of how I can lubricate it and glue it, but I really do need something to help me slide it on. My brother and I were trying to just force it on for an hour yesterday and couldn't get it passed one-third on...

Okay, I'm at a friend's house and I just drove to the place of another friend to use some silicon lube again. This time I used MUCH less, only spraying some on a paper towel then rubbing that on the rubber shaft (last time I did this plus spraying inside the metal tube). It got on fine and I then wrapped what I could in duct tape. Let's see if that holds for now, or at least until I can think of something more permanent.

How far on are you trying to get it? It doesn't need to go all the way to the bottom of the rubber stub.

My buddy with the 91 turbo actually drilled through the shifter and into the rubber stub, into the metal underneath it, then put a screw in it.

Hell a stick pin would do the trick then in that case. Drill a small hole all the way through and put in a pin and bend it over. That might break instead of bend though. How about a thin finishing nail and bend the sucker over? Like a cotter pin deal.

Or you could use some glue near just the end so it slides all the way on but the glue holds it in place. I'd test an area first to make sure it doesn't fubar the rubber.


LOL. You said you lubed your shaft.

Spray Paint was always the choice for motorcycle/bicycle grips, goes on wet like lube, dries like glue. This seems a similar circumstance, might be worth a try.

Gary

Using less silicon didn't help much, I pressed into the duct tape with my fingernail and felt that the tube had still moved up a bit after use, but the tape will keep it where it is for now.

Wow, that's a very interesting idea with the spray paint; however, the hole and screw idea here is bulletproof. I think I'm going to try that. Hell, maybe both! Nah, I'll just lube it up and then take the drill to it and drive in a screw or big nail in.

Hate to double-post but I finally drilled a hole in it all and put a screw through then cut off the protruding end of the screw with a dremel.

I then went for a spirited drive and gave it hell--wild jerky shifts and yanking it between 3rd and 4th constantly on straightaways. Once I got back home I examined it and it hadn't budged. Perfect.

Thank you subyluvr2212 for informing me of your friend doing the same.