All geared up

A minor change and update on the Peugeot 206. Made quite a difference too.

MAYBE I am coming across as a bit picky here. But some may say that I could be going through my Peugeot 206 with a fine toothcomb in this case scenario. This was on the Pug’s to-do list along with the lights which have been sorted out. The most recent change I have done to the car is replaced the gear knob and gaiter.

What was wrong with the old one? Well the leather on the gear knob had worn out. To an extent that the material disintegrated. When it became uncomfortable to behold when changing gears from the palm of my left hand.

Sooner rather than later, I decided to go and get a new gear knob for the 206. Off to a Peugeot Citroën breakers yard in Blackburn. Got a replacement knob and gaiter pulled straight out of another 206 broken for spares. It only set me back a fiver for the set.

The old gear knob material peeled off like an onion layer. Most likely to be through wear and tear.

Then I headed home. Got straight onto the job of getting the old knob and gaiter off and replacing it with a new one. That should have been a five minute job right? Turns out it wasn’t, as it required a lot of brute force and faffing about to get the ripe old one off.

Firstly I got the knob off by twisting and pulling it off. The next bit was getting the gaiter out. That turned out to being a pig of a job to do. I needed a Stanley knife to get it off, as one part of the knob and gaiter was held together with a small plastic clamp on the inside, so that was cut off. Once the plastic clamp was cut off, it made it easier to get most of the gaiter off. The material was finally taken off.

Finally, it was a piece of rubber that needed pulling off so the whole gaiter was pulled. This really was a beast of a job on my hands. At first, I was convinced the piece of rubber was glued on because this required even more brute force to get it off.

New gear knob and gaiter tidies up the interior. Now that looks much better doesn't it?

Without wanting to waste my energy in yanking the piece of rubber off the stem. I decided that breaking it apart with the Stanley knife would be an easier solution. It was, but then my hand slipped once when I tried doing that and accidentally stabbed myself in the leg. Don’t worry, I’m fine and all was well with wetting and drying the wound, and putting a plaster on my leg.

After that, I tried again in getting the rubber off the stem. Without much effort, it eventually came off. Then the new gear knob and gaiter were easily slotted on. Looked good as new and I was very satisfied at the end.

A minor change such as changing a gear knob and gaiter may not sound like much. It’s more comfortable changing gears from the palm of my hand. It also tidies up the car’s appearance as well. Altogether, it makes a big difference without question.

Out goes the old gear knob and gaiter that will be thrown away.