All I've ever needed was a pair of channellock pliers. The shift lever and cap is spring loaded, so you'll need to soak the area around the cap with penetrating oil like PB blaster to break up any rust, then push down on the cap and turn it slightly CCW to disengage it from the lock pins. Then pull the shifter and cap straight up.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!