removing 9sp shimano tiagra 105 ultegra shifter caps/name plates/thumbnails

installing a new cap seems like a no-brainer, just snap it on, but transferring or removing one has been an elusive operation... MY ADVICE: DONT TRY TO REMOVE ONE OF THESE FOR RE-USE!!!

after searching the web numerous times i could find no instructions for removing one of this vintage of cap. it is a 2 piece unit but normally only the cap is gone or damaged and you can buy only the cap. they are left side right side specific design my bikes are all 9sp shimano so i have a few dead levers around. the cap on the bike is MIA(missing) and i found a matching cap on a dead lever. with no instructions on how they come off i inspected the black clip that makes up the 2nd part of the system, it is held onto the lever with a philips head screw, visible when the cap isnt yet mounted. there is a space at the top and bottom of that clip that could hold the cap on so i guessed that was how it attaches and stays on. prying at the top was dicey, the cap there is thinner and seemed weak. prying at the bottom was working well but when it finally came off the 'nib' on the cap that clicks into the space on the clip broke off (rendering it useless except for gluing back on!) after inspecting the system i would suspect this is a likely result regardless of how you attempt removal. especially since parts of this vintage are getting older and more brittle...

anyone with better results/methods please feel free to comment!

all's'miles
curby

keywords: install replace remove 9sp shimano tiagra 105 ultegra shifter caps name plates thumbnails