Type-R style shift knob

[BarracksSi]

Certainly not JDM Honda, but the packaging barely has any English -- so in some way it could be considered JDM. ;)

I've never changed a car's controls before, and I was completely surprised at how different the shifter feels now. Everything is much more direct, and I swear the engine feels faster -- must have added about 10-15 MHP ("Mental Horsepower".. lol).

Got it for about 20 bucks from jmdracing.com (yes, it's spelled j-m-d), and I'm waiting for a CTR shift boot to match.

In the meantime, thanks to my own clumsiness, I ended up having to modify the stock boot. After trying various combinations & inversions of the OEM chrome ring, I took the black piece from just inside the top and put it on the outside (I accidentally broke its clips that secure it to the chrome piece) and superglued it to the boot. I also added a rubber washer to the underside for better security.

I think I'll do something to keep the boot higher on the shift lever, too. For now, it doesn't look THAT bad...

It's taken some adjusting with the included locknut to get it to sit straight and not turn, but it's solid now. Is this the way the Honda CTR knob is secured, or is there another method?

I dig it -- I think I'll stick with it for quite a while.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/pcf14370f83f2508944703089a435f0fd/fb0debfb.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/p5ee53cfc7acf1219a7c85de933ba141e/fb0debea.jpg

[Civicvtec1ps]

looks pretty good.
and yea need ctr boot,

[IceD out N CALI]

looks good-the ctr boot will round it off nicely:)

[BarracksSi]

Originally posted by IceD out N CALI
looks good-the ctr boot will round it off nicely:)

That's a nice way to say, "That hacked-up stock USDM boot looks like sh!t!" ;)

[Civicvtec1ps]

[
my usdm boot doesnt look bad with spoon sports shiftknob. but ordered ctr boot as well. i just need to pick it up
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/p6e476ef93cfd39dec7294db3a85abe7b/fb2bea3c.jpg

[intelli]

Sorry, but I think the USDM stock looks better.

[civic hatch boi]

barracks... since u dont have a ctr boot.. i say dont use the nut.. just screw it down as far down as it goes... i think ur shift knob is too high right now.

[BarracksSi]

Don't worry too much about upsetting me -- this is still a work in progress, so tips are welcome.

If I screw it down as far as it goes, it's REALLY crooked -- like, 90 degrees too far to the right.

It's possible that I could get a different, thinner nut to lock it down, but that'll have to wait for a trip to the hardware store. It's also possible that the knob sits kinda high anyway (it IS quite a bit lower without the nut there), and it looks even higher because of how far down the boot is sitting.

It's also possible that the knob could fit properly if I use Teflon tape or something similar, too. I don't have any laying around the house, though, so that will have to wait, too.

I'll decide on a way to keep the boot higher (or screw the knob lower), and if it works, I'll post another pic or two with the revision.

I do like how the stock boot looks right now, though. The black tip is a clean shape (although I have some superglue-induced discoloration to clean up somehow), and it's not too bad if it's closer to the knob.

But, for now, I'm planning to use the CTR boot when it finally arrives. Opinions can change, though -- including my own.

[BarracksSi]

CTR boot!

With a skinny washer underneath, the boot is held up well, but there's not much room for the locking nut AND the knob. So, I took off the nut, and screwed down the knob tight against the top of the boot.

It's holding, but I think it's damaging the plastic part underneath the chrome piece. I'll also try using tape or something to hold up the boot farther down the shift lever.

Although the modded USDM boot didn't look too bad, this one looks better -- more "finished". I'm happy.

[Civicvtec1ps]

BarracksSi

That looks 100x better than before. Welcome to ctr boot club.
LOL
:)

[SiR_d1]

much better:)

[DumbNewB]

Originally posted by BarracksSi
I swear the engine feels faster -- must have added about 10-15 MHP ("Mental Horsepower".. lol).


Thats Freaking Hilarious, that just made me laugh really hard.... yea sorry its kind of late but it looks 1000x better now btw

[DumbNewB]

O yea and can u take another picture barrack?

[BarracksSi]

What kind of angle would you need? I've posted several already.

Here's one more from the driver's chest...

[BarracksSi]

Here's another, just minutes before installation ;)

[Btrthnezr3]

Looks very nice!
You might have just convinced me not to stay stock!! ;)

[BarracksSi]

Ya know, there's something to be said for the stock knob. For my hands, the stock one is big enough -- I find myself shifting the "R" knob mostly with my fingertips (which shows that, yes, it's another great Honda shift mechanism) because it's pretty small to grip it with my palm.

The leather stockie is also much less heat- and cold-conductive than any metal knob. I mostly garage the EP, so I haven't had to deal with a subzero shift knob -- yet. When the weather's hot, though, the knob's damned hot.

The leather & red-stitched knob does match the steering wheel much better, of course.

But, the lack of padding on the new knob provodes a MUCH more direct shift feel, its surface is kinda neat, and it looks much more integrated with the center dash.

As with ALL mods, there are tradeoffs, but I like this one.

[BarracksSi]

YET ANOTHER UPDATE---

Dig this:

The CTR boot, by itself, with no washer or tape or anything to hold it up, actually projects far enough to touch the bottom of the shift knob. It actually bumps right up against the bottom of the knob, and can move freely enough down the rod to avoid damage. I KNEW that the difference between it and the stock boot was more than the chrome piece on the tip. There's actually "more boot", more rubber, on the CTR version.

So, my setup right now is the CTR boot, unassisted by washers or anything, and that same aftermarket knob screwed all the way down. Now, my knob isn't squashing the chrome tip of the CTR boot. I'd take another pic, but frankly, it looks identical to the ones on the first page with the CTR boot.

The knob, screwed down without correction, is about 150 degrees too far clockwise. The shift pattern is nearly upside down. Rather than put the nut back on, I decided to try to find a way to put some sort of insert in the hole of the knob.

The shift knobs in both my old Si and the EP have some sort of rubber inside that keeps the rod from going all the way to the end of the cavity. So, to see if it would work, I took some wrapper bits from a pack of Hall's cough drops that I've got in the car, mushed them into a little ball, and shoved them into the knob. Then, I screwed down the knob, and now it's got a really snug fit with the numbers correctly aligned.

The locknut, and the space it requires, makes the overall height nearly an inch higher than the setup I've got now. I also think that this is noticeably shorter than stock. Add a short shift adapter, and you might only need to flick the knob an inch in any direction (well, probably not, but the idea's kinda funny).

Will I keep this knob? Maybe -- I'm also realizing how similar the RSX and CTR knobs really are. Hmmm.........

[vti]

cant beleive you guys go mad over stuff like this. anyone got pics of the ctr boot and si side by side ? surely there not that different ?

[vti]

is jdm knob same as u.k ctr 1 ? if ya guys want ill try and get a u.k ctr knob from scrappy over here. how do you take it of (turn anticlockwise or clockwise ? might just try and sneak 1 off while im down there. couplr down at place where i was today. got hold of the u.k ctr speedo cluster for someone.

[vti]

looked a 3 ctr in scrappies today. someone has beat me to all the knobs. all the shift boots were still in though. guy wanted

[BarracksSi]

By "scrappies", do you mean scrap yards?

It's not a complex process to take off the boot. After taking off the knob, push down the boot, and stick your thumbs into the rubber, inside the chrome ring, and start pulling.

Gradually start working the panel off, being careful to not bend the panel itself. On US EPs (well, on mine, anyway), the tabs on the right side are particularly stubborn, and can cause problems if you're not patient.

And, well, that's it. It's really that simple. Once it's off, unplug the hazard light switch (and cigarette lighter, if necessary), and you'll see the screws that secure the boot to the silver panel.

I've got no need for a 6-speed shift knob, though.

[vti]

yeh, scrapyard. thanks. ill give that a go if i go down there again.

[2.0L Monster]

Originally posted by BarracksSi
By "scrappies", do you mean scrap yards?

It's not a complex process to take off the boot. After taking off the knob, push down the boot, and stick your thumbs into the rubber, inside the chrome ring, and start pulling.

Gradually start working the panel off, being careful to not bend the panel itself. On US EPs (well, on mine, anyway), the tabs on the right side are particularly stubborn, and can cause problems if you're not patient.

And, well, that's it. It's really that simple. Once it's off, unplug the hazard light switch (and cigarette lighter, if necessary), and you'll see the screws that secure the boot to the silver panel.

I've got no need for a 6-speed shift knob, though.

That way works but it is not what honda recomends. Honda recomends you take off the passanger side lower dash cover and glove box and wrap a rachet in a towel and take off the clips that way.

[BarracksSi]

Originally posted by 2.0L Monster
That way works but it is not what honda recomends. Honda recomends you take off the passanger side lower dash cover and glove box and wrap a rachet in a towel and take off the clips that way.

Oh yeah, I forgot... :D

The way I described is how I took it off the last several times. But, it's touchy, and I was nervous about breaking or bending the panel each time.

Using a ratchet extension, per Honda's method, would be much safer.