Mine seemed to have had a whole tube of loctight used on it. It was a struggle but I managed. Also I had to turn the thing for an eternity before it actually came off. When using the strap wrench do everything you can to keep the strap tight. I know, duh, right? It makes a big difference.
Here are some pics for motivation,
IMG_4315 by
J M Gale, on Flickr
IMG_4316 by
J M Gale, on Flickr
Here you can see the stock knob back in place after I installed the short shifter. No damage.
IMG_4382 by
J M Gale, on Flickr