Short Shifter Install – By integra_nemesis
Tools you’ll need: Basic Hand Tools
Jack and/or jack stands (hydraulic is preferred, but manual will do.)
12mm and 10mm sockets
12mm spanner
Vise grips or pliers
An extra pair of hands
White Lithium Grease
Phillips and standard screwdriver
10mm offset spanner (optional)
For: Integras & Civics (not sure for other honda cars, but it can't differ too much.)
First, you want to remove the center console. 4 screws in the back section hold it. If you pop up that tab in the middle of the console, there are two screws there, and finally the two screws down in the front. There are two more, behind the section where the ashtray is. (Only on G3 Integra’s/Civics are much easier)
Now that you have the console out, go ahead and jack up the car. I chose the passenger side, you can do it from what ever side you like. Be sure to chock the back wheels and be sure your e-brake is on good and tight. You also have the option of unbolting or taking the cat off its hanger’s, I did neither; probably would’ve made reassembly easier though.
Once you have the car jacked up, grab your 12mm socket and spanner. Take out the bolt at the bottom of the shift lever. Use the spanner to hold one side still, while you ratchet the other side.
Now, grab your 10mm socket and go to work on the two mounting bolts. First, pull back the rubber weather seal. This is the tricky part, and a horrible design by Honda on the bolts. Have someone with pliers or vise grips hold the flat tops of the bolts while you undo the nut from underneath. Have patience though; the pliers will slip, many, many times!
With the two mounting bolts out, slide your shifter out the bottom of the car. Slide the metal bracket off the bottom of the shifter, and slide the rubber bushing toward the top; you can use some white lithium grease to aid in this.
If your shifter didn’t come with it’s own sealed bearings, you’ll need to reuse the stock bearing. It just slides out of the stock shifter. Honda recommends replacing the o-rings on the stock bearing itself. So keep that in mind before putting this thing in. Also, if your shifter did not come with the 12mm self-locking nut for the bottom of the shift lever, get one of these from Honda as well.
Now, with your new shifter, lube up the ball joint with the lithium grease, don’t be afraid to get dirty. Slide the rubber bushing onto the new shifter the way it came off the stock shifter. When it’s on, put more grease down in the bushing. Also, lube the bearings while you’re at it. Before putting the shifter in, put the mount back on the new shifter as not to forget it.
From under the car put the new shifter in. Use the new bolt and self-locking nut to attach the bottom of the new shifter to the linkage. Be sure to tighten it now, don’t wait and go back to it.
Now comes for the most challenging part. Reassembling the mount. I found it easier to do the front bolt if I put the car in 1st gear. Again, someone will have to be up top with pliers or vise grips. The back bolt is the most difficult. I found I had the most room if I put the car in reverse; and to get it started by hand. What also may help is an offset spanner, but it’s not required.
Now that you have the mount on, you can reset the weather seal up top. Put the console back together; let down the car and drive.
*** Please note: This is just a general guide, every shifter and car will be a little different; this is just to provide a little help. You should contact the manufacturer of your shifter for more explicit instructions or help. ***