all the threads ive looked at say to unscrew bottom piece and then lift up on ****. I just went out with pliers and turned the **** out of the bottom "locking" piece and it wont even budge. help?

 

You need to take a razor blade and go around between the bottom piece and the **** to break the seal they used.

 

I had difficulty removing my shift ****; however, when I moved the shift **** until it was in a perfect 90 degree position, the shift **** came off. When you put the **** in a 90 degree position it gives you a better holding grip thus allowing you to remove the shift **** more easily.

 

Don't forget that the bottom is reverse-threaded...

 

After I unscrewed that bottom collar the **** slid straight up and off with a little encouragement, easier than I expected for sure.