I finished the right side mid control installation, and now I'm having trouble with the left. I removed the shifter pedal and linkage, but can't get the armature off the shifter shaft. I removed the bolt that holds it in place, even squirted some pb blaster on it, but it still won't budge.

Any advice on how to get it loose?

Here's a picture before I started:

 

does it have a slot in it ?
I put a straight slot screwdiver in the slot , and tap it in to spread the lever...from your picture it looks like the "slot isnt all the way through"
is the lever stock , or aftermarket?

 

If there is a split, try getting a screwdriver in it and push it apart.

 

Maybe a bearing/ gear puller. Mine is split all the way back so I just tapped a flat head in there to spread it a bit.

 

The split does go all the way through - the sun was at just the right angle when I took that picture to cast a shadow that makes the the split look incomplete. I'll try the screw driver first and the bearing puller if that doesn't do it.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I able to remove the lever using the screw driver.

Then I broke the new shift lever trying to install it. The steel was brittle and cracked right at the top above the bolt that holds it on to the shifter shaft.

<sigh>

 

You should be able to go back to HD and get them to make it right.

 

I shouldn't have referred to the shift lever as new (new to me), since I got it from some guy on craigslist who had installed forwards on his 2001. It could have been cracked from when he took it, or I could have put too much force on it trying to get it installed, though it shouldn't be that easy to break steel.

New shift levers are around $20 on ebay.

Guess I wasn't gonna ride in this blizzard anyway.

 

Oh, I'll bet it was cracked from the get go. I have mids on my unit and ripped them out for forwards. Both were from HD and they were fine. Didn't look like weak cheap steel to me.

Then it isn't too bad.

Without a gear shift? Not a good idea. With a gear shift? Sure.