So is it a cover or thin skin? I am not able to remove the button from the shifter. I am currently stuck at that point. I keep scratching the button with a screwdriver because I am trying to PUSH the button off of whatever it is on.

Any further suggestions?

 

YellowFX4SCrew, on the side of the button, take a small flat bladed screwdriver, and pry a little out towards the side, while at the same time pushing out. Do a little on one side then the other. When you have the button off, you will see the long catch on both sides of the chrome button cover.

 

Finally did it!!! whew... of course I would have saved alot of scratches had I known it was that easy. Now I have to put the chrome cap on and that is is...

 

So has anyone finished this mod? Any pictures and/or instructions on how to? Many thanks!

Duke

 

hey guys- sounds like everything is coming along good. Sorry i didnt get the pics. I was running late and didnt have time. ended up leaving for vacation before taking pictures and during vacation in fractured my ankle so I have not been able to do much.


The entire inside of the LT handle needs to be ground out leaving just a shell-

 

So the entire inside of the LT handle needs to be dremeled out, just leaving a shell? Then attached the Ford button how? Then how do you attach the new handle to the rod? Just don't want to start this project until everything gets cleared up on it. Is there someone who could just write out some quick directions for this?

 

Yes, the entire inside of the LT handle needs to be Dremeled out. I will be posting some more pics here tonight to show the guts of of the shifter...

Here is Picture #1: Stock Shifter Assembly out of Plastic Skin:




Here is Stock Shifter Assembly disassembled:




Here is Pin on right side of pic which just pushed out either side to release shift button. Once this pin is removed and button is pulled off, you can push the inside assembly out through the top of the plasic casing:




Once this is done, dremel out EVERYTHING inside the new Mark LT shifter except the final casing to make it match the existing plastic housing as seen in picture #2.

Yes...dremel out EVERYTHIING. You will need to dremel out the inside wall as well. The LT handle has an outer wall which is the leather and then there is a gap of about 1/8" and then the inner wall. This inner wall will have to be dremeled out in order for the guts to fit in. It will be a snug fit once it is done but the final outcome is worth every minute.

 

Been following this thread with interest for awhile. I am going to have my interior guy at my shop tomorrow. Just curious to see if he can make some type of custom leather wrap to go around my stock shifter. I will follow up if he can do something.

 

Here is the Chrome Cap which goes on the top of the shifter. I took the cap from the LT shifter and used pliers to snap off ONE (1) tab. The cap sits perfectly on the new set up. Applied some 5 minute 2 part poxy to secure it to the shifter.



Hope this helps...

 

Great pics and explanation YellowFX4SCrew. Thank you very much for taking the time to help all of us out. I think I'll order my beige handle tomorrow and work on it this weekend. Was there another wall of plastic that the leather sticks to? I know you said dremel out the inner wall on the LT handle, but the leather sits on another wall right and not just by itself? Any hints on getting the chrome button off without scratching it to death? Somehow I know that will be my downfall of the project.

 

Yes. This is all thanx to Purpony and SaleenLimited (I don't know his F150Online Name).

If you pull the button all of the way out you will see a small 1/2" slot in the black plastic right behind the button. This slot is large enough to place a "Standard" screwdriver tip into. Make sure the screwdriver is very slim tipped. I used a buckknife because it had a very sharp and thin tip.

Next, place the screwdriver/knife in the whole part way. Make sure the handle of the screwdriver is right next to the body of the shifter. (as if you were holding both of them with one hand.) You then need to slightly twist the srewdriver to force the button AWAY from the handle. When I twisted my knife I heard a "CLICK". I thought I broke it but it just released it from the handle. Then go to the other side and repeat this step. Once I heard the click, I was able to pull the button right off without any resistance that I can recall.

After you do that, you can just push that silver pin through one side or the other and the rest of the button will be able to be removed. Everything else will be able to be pushed through the top of the casing.

As far as the the new shifter; the "Outer Wall" is the wall that the leather is glued to. You don't want to go through that...

Hope this helps.

 

Yeah I'm going to stop by a lincoln dealership on my way home and see how the tan matches up. I just don't think black would look good in my tan leather interior in my opinion. Also I might try and find someone who works at Ford to purchase through because a dealership I called for it wanted $50. Wasn't there someone selling these for $9?

 

Yep, I purchased mine at www.fordpartsnetwork.com. They hit me with s&h of $7.99 though. It was worth the look!

 

Anyone have the part number for the Tan shifter?

I'm extremely confident that it will match the 05 tan interior. In the Lincoln.com pictures the shifter matches the dash and not the seats and the dash in the tan lincoln is identical to the dash in the 05 f150.

 

More pictures:





A few items of note:

1) Thanks to Purpony for blazing the trail. Nicely done, Sir!
2) YellowFX4Screw – great pictures and great directions.
3) TAKE YOUR TIME on this mod.
4) Buy a cheap set of mini screwdrivers from Radio Shack, or anywhere else. They will help with some of the “prying”. One is pictured.
5) Don’t be afraid to get black plastic all over the damn place. It is going to happen. You literally have to carve an inner cylinder out of the exterior cylinder of the shifter. If you don’t own a Dremel, go get one.
6) Yes, ALL of the guts come out of the new shifter.
7) Remove some material, and then test fit. Repeat Step 7. Don’t force the interior “guts” from the old shifter into the new shifter hoping you’re done with the removal of material. You might break something like I did. I snapped off the bar that the tension spring arms rest against. I had to do a little extra modifying.
8) If you screw up the spring in the top of the inner mechanism (like I did), your local hardware store should have replacements. Luckily, mine did.

The new shifter really feels good in your hand. Even considering the few obstacles I caused myself, I’m really happy with the outcome.

Good luck!