You may actually be able to remove the shift lever without removing the support (with the bitch clip).
The plastic bearing needs to be rotated 1/4 turn to remove, then the lever will come up the top. It has a square area in it to allow the bottom of the shifter to pass through. I think I used needle-nose pliers with a 90 degree bend in them to engage the slots and turn the bearing. There is a tool available, or one could be made easily enough from a length of tubing and a mill.
If you do need to remove the support, just replace the clip. It's like $2.00 or something, and it's better to replace, than to regret.
Use a high-pressure grease to lube the bearing. Also a sticky, water rejecting grease would be best. Try the local marine supply, or MSC for some Lubriplate brand stuff. It should be compatible with plastics- some are not. |