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I'm replacing the centre console on my '83 316 for one in better shape and am struggling to undo the gear knob. Looking in the Haynes manual it suggests that the knob just screws on which is what I'd have expected. (Conventional r/h thread?) My guess is that as the rubber has got old it's hanging on hard to the gear stick. If I turn much harder the car's going to start going round underneath me! Has anyone else come across this problem?

Would much appreciate any advice, please.

Cheers, Alibaba.

You'll need to stop the stick itself spinning and just use brute force to twist the knob off. If not, you might have to cut it off or use dynamite?

a 1983 e21 should have a pull off gear knob like later bmw's ....if the gearstick is either black painted or chrome plated then the knob screws on or off .. Later cars have a aluminium gearstick and these have a pull off gear stick knob..edd..

Yep, most likely to be a pull off which is better as these don't keep on spinning.

Herman's came off in my hand whilst drag racing- straight up!!

Is Herman a car or a person?

While we're on this subject... does anybody knob the exact thread on the screw-off gearknobs?
I've guestimated it at M12x1.25 x25 but that's still a guess:P

Thanks guys for all help. I'm glad that I didn't resort to tools to twist the gear knob, as I might well have wrecked it. It looks as though mine is the later pull off type. I'll post when I've had a chance to try it out. Thanks again.
Alibaba