Replacing shift lever 124

[schumi]

I have couple questions about replacing the shift lever (auto. trans.) in a 124 (my 1987 300E). (1) how do you remove old lever? I know it's threaded at the bottom and screwed in, but it does not seem to want to come out. Is there something holding it in? I don't want to force it. (2) does anyone know definitively if all 124 auto. trans. shift levers are the same? Thanks