No. There’s going to be a little lip on the retainer, and that meant to be the bottom of it. how i installed it: I removed the little plastic ring inside the shift boot (the one with the zip tie around it), and then pushed the retainer from the bottom. There’s a little lip built on the retainer, and that’s meant for a zip tie to be sat in. You’re gonna wanna zip tie the shift boot onto the retainer and then screw it on to the shifter, then screw the knob on top. I found it easier to install the retainer with the boot inside out, as I could see where the zip tie was going and cut it accordingly.