I am trying to remove the shift lever. It is corroded but nickle plated and I want to make it shiny again. It appears that there are only two screws that hold it in place and then should be removed by pulling straight up on it. I tried that and am encountering more resistance that I feel should be required. It also appears that after that attempt I cannot get it into reverse and first is really loose and I don't think it is engaging.

So in the event that I may now need to remove the trans top should I only need to remove the floor boards for access?

Please excuse if you are seeing this twice. I posted initially on another forum and realized it should be here. 

Any guidance is greatly appreciated.