Hi guys,
My 4.4 TDV8 on a 60 plate has the silver topped rotary gear selector. It had a few dings and scratches from a previous life. It has a few more worse ones now!!!
I have bought the black leather top to replace the old one. It is an LR part and the brief instruction sheet bizarrely shows a screwdriver and hammer being used to prise off the centre top - which I understand hides an allen key which holds the selector on.
Obviously I didn't use a hammer but a very small screwdriver to hopefully delicately prise the old cover off.
The cover will not budge, but shows some slight upward movement and despite putting loads of tape on the cover and the selector both have been badly marked!
A belated search on here found one topic which suggested a hard plastic trim tool can be used. Tried a plastic decorating tool but found it did not move it at all.
Suggestions please.
If I could get the cover off I could at least replace the old mangled items with a new selector.
Help!
Ron

The official instructions in the workshop manual don’t help......

Click image to enlarge

Hi Mark,
Thanks for that.
I have just come out of the manual on the site and found that page

No real help there with no mention of a special tool though there is a warning about damaging the thing. Where do you get some of those levitating screwdrivers?

I might try a duct tape handle on the top of the cover/topper and gently use the screwdriver to see if that pulls it up, though I would rather not put any upward pressure on the selector itself.

Ron

I thought there might be more, but not jumping out.... 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

flap over..
So, I masked off the whole of the gear selector to prevent any more damage and anything going down inside. I also put Duct tape over the ends of my small screwdrivers.
With a lot of force with one and then the other from the other side the machined metal top came slowly off. I don't know what it was stuck down with but it would be great for sticking something down that you never wanted to come off again, NOT to lightly hold the only way in to remove the selector drum!
If you have to take your selector drum off do not expect to use the top again, mine came off well graunched up.
Some more tape over the slotted holes in the selector drum and I then ran some fine emery paper dry then wet over the burrs my cack-handedness had left around the rim of the selector.
Incredibly my covering my tracks worked and with the new (late 2011-12 style) black leather top on you would never know a crime against that lovely Range Rover interior had been committed!
Thanks again Mark, first (and only) one out of the blocks.
Ron
PS that PowerfulUK, who supplied my leather top, video is useful except it is geared more towards removing the softer and more flexible leather tops using their special tool and fitting the hard metal one.

No worries mate.... I don’t move as fast in real life

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Rotary gear selector leather topper Post Script.
The genuine LR topper would not stick down on to the metal top of the selector drum. It was prevented by the gathered (real) leather underneath.
An email to the supplier PowerfulUK saw some extra adhesive pads arrive the next day. Despite this top service from them (as always) there still wasn't enough thickness of pads to contact the top of the selector.
BUT a few drops of PVA adhesive carefully applied with a cocktail stick to the gathered leather around the underside edge of the topper DID the trick.
I now have a lovely MY11 black leather topper in place and after almost 800 miles it is still in place.
Ron

Well done Ron  Kev

2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey