Shifter surgery
 

How the hell do I get the two halves of the shifter apart to install my new shifter gasket/flange/base thing?

The two halves of the shifter is bonded together with rubber inside the shifter,so don't even try taking it apart unless you want to go out and buy a new shifter.To get the new gasket/flange on,just spray the thick part of the shifter with wd40 and carefully slide it over the shaft.

Using a Talc Powder also works well. Supposedly covering your new boots with talc lubricates them and lengthen's their life. I don't know if that is true or not I do know that it makes everything slide together nice without the use of oil.

Cool! Thanks guys!

cut off the old one.
i use windex to slip on the new one.

Talc or windex. Any types of oil will reduce the life span of the new boots. Oil makes the rubber swell and degradate.
I would use the TALC method.

I think I'm just an idiot. I didn't even think about taking it off the top... I was trying to get it over the damn ball thing!

I just pulled the old one off, and used the Jenna Jamieson method to lube the new one and it slipped right on.