I have 1984 300sd that I'm attempting to switch out the shift knob but it seems as though it is quite difficult.

In my model, the black cover (that has the shift pattern on it) is a one piece box approximately 6 inches deep that is bolted to the chassis. Running beside the box on each side are the plastic air vents going to the rear which prevents the box from moving upwards. So the problem is, the black box seems near impossible to remove without tearing apart the whole dash.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of shift knob switch?

I'll try and get some pics later today.