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Quest for the Ultimate/Affordable TSX Short Shifter

173K views 851 replies 167 participants last post by  TSX_scrub 
#1 · (Edited)
The quest for the ultimate/affordable TSX short shifter.

For many years now I have been waiting for a company to come out with a full short shifter solution for our cars, something that uses the OEM plastic base, and just changes out the shifter. It would be more economical for the manufacture, a higher quality for the buyer, and it would use the dependable plastic OEM base. The Mugen version is an inch shorter by the knob, and does not change the leverage points, and the price is ridiculous. The CT one could come loose, and I just don’t plain trust no set screws and glue, and again expensive for what you get. My background is mechanical engineering and I have the CAD/CNC tools to do most custom projects, so on I went with this one.

To start I took my shifter assembly out of the car and studied it for a bit. I found the design to be simple and impressive. The engineering that went on this piece was high quality, simple designed, and cheap to produce. I took a few key points off it and moved on. Next was the measuring of the part using high end Starett comparators. The bottom tip of the shifter was of most importance as the plastic ball that goes over it needs to roll smoothly. Another key measurement is the big center ball that the shifter uses as its central leverage point. With my measurements taken and rechecked I moved on to machining open the OEM shifter.

First I noticed that the back end of the central ball was pressed in. The spidering effects and the dimple gave it away. This is what Honda used to attach the ball to the shifter. Simple and effective!


To release some pressure off the dimple and to slide the ball off easier I center drilled the center of the dimple out. As this point would usually have the most clamping pressure.


Next I moved on to drilling the dimple out, and pressing the ball off the shaft.


What I discovered was again impressive. This hole time I thought the dimple is what kept things intact, but I was wrong. This is where research pays off as I realized that sideways motion could loosen up the pressing. Honda used straight cut knurls on the shifter and ball. When mated they allow each other to pass through each others channel to stop sideways motion.


Next was the designing stage. The curve in the shifter that Honda puts in our shifters is for ergonomics reasons that I can’t explain. The curve makes the shift knob be about .200” away from the driver. If anything you would want the knob to be closer to you, especially when shifting into 5th and 6th. Think about the EG/DC shifters and how they curved back towards the drivers hand for closer shifting. This design might be an inherited design from the JDM cousin that they were too lazy to change. Worried about how it would stick out I ran to the car with an assembled straight bar and the OEM ball. I could not tell at all. Put the center consol back on, and the shifter looked straight and right in the center. Mugen users can verify this as well.

My design is a 3 piece 303SS assembly that will be either tig welded or laser welded together. Here shown before assembly

Here shown after all welded together and ready to replace the OEM piece.


The next stage was important. Using GibbsCam, I used the CAD files I designed earlier to program the path of the CNC. With the help from a machinist/friend at work we got the thing ready to roll.


After the programming we prepped the CNC and loaded the first bar in the chuck.


After running the CNC the finished product looked like a beautiful part. Measuring confirmed that we were within .0001”. Amazing!

Here is a little clip I shot of the CNC running.

Overall 3 test pieces are made. The back end will be done shortly then I can move on to the ball and side lever.


More to come of the finished product! This was done to generate some interest in the TSX/Accord community in the mean time, and get some feedback to whether this is a wise choice to put this product in production.

Thanx for looking. Bardi.


As of 12/13/13 I have decided to put the scattered information on this thread on the first page. The web pages below are two very well written installs by two forum members. Please use these instructions to install the shifter:







http://www.tsxclub.com/forums/1st-g...cs-ultimate-affordable-tsx-short-shifter.html

http://c.winterrowd.homedns.org/tsx/short-shifter/index.html


12/23/13
Just a little clip and instructions on how to install the new hardware:
1-Lightly coat the body of the shoulder bolt with grease (It helps spin inside the hole better when you shift).
2-Make sure no grease ends up on the threads of the shoulder bolt. Clean threads with alcohol asap if this happens! Appling blue/red thread-lock on the threads is recommended if you have some, but not necessary.
3-Coat washer and mating pocket of plastic crank arm with grease.
4-Tighten as video shows.

 
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#3 ·
Definitely some impressive work
 
#6 ·
I love engineering even though I'm not an engineer. Also love starret tools haha. I am interested to see how this comes out. I can be considered still new to the TSX community but I feel the stock shifter is truly amazing compared to other manuals in other cars I have driven. I feel it is positive and for the most part direct. Whether that is due to the shifter or transmission I really don't know. I am interested in your review once this is completed.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I agree that every manual trans TSX needs a short shift kit as 1 of the 1st mods.

When I 1st started researching, I too thought the CT shifter stub that installs with set screws was kinda mickey mouse but I have never heard of anyone having trouble with it.

Nice approach to the problem & nice solution. Thanks for posting all the pics too..
 
#23 ·
I was talking to a guy a couple of weeks ago and he had the CT kit. According to him it was trash, he said it had play a lot of play in it. W/e.
He must have installed it wrong, just like how I did it the first time. After my first install, it had alot of play in it, but I chalked it up to it being the first short shifter that I have used. I decided to go back and re-do it, and now there is absolutely no play in it.

I agree, though, I don't like the idea of glue and set screws, but it was a cheap and easy mod to do.
 
#24 ·
!

my clutch and flywheel are being installed tomorow also a ss clutch line all i need now is a good short shifter and my tranny will be complete! I havent purchased one yet just because I didnt see any worth money. And i didnt want to purchase a whole new shifter box. Deff looking forward to this. any idea on pricing?
 
#30 ·
Can the "ball & T" be machined as a single piece? If possible that would seem to simplify things.
Or can the "ball & T" from the original shifter lever be installed on the new shifter lever?

As mentioned, I've never heard of anyone having trouble with the CT shift stub coming loose. I guess it could be welded to the stock shifter lever. I wonder if it could be welded without removing the entire lever from the plastic shifter housing?
 
#31 ·
Yes the ball and T can be a one piece just like the oem. Since balls exist, it would be cheaper to buy one and modify. The quotes I got so far are up there, so I will explore the one piece option.

I would not recommend welding the addition while still in the plastic base!
 
#33 ·
Nice idea here...I am going to offer some unsolicited input.


1- There is really nothing wrong with the CT until The fact of the matter is, when installed correctly, it is a reliable part that does the job. Is it elegant? No. Does it need to be? Well, no. Is it a complete solution? No.

2- I have been rolling this around a solution like this for a while myself. Although I was thinking of making it more an evolution of an existing shifter that is about the best one you can get (if you have a Civic or Integra), the Fastline Performance Shifter.

Fastline Performance Honda Civic CRX and Acura Integra Custom Shifter



Now, I realize that performance in a TSX is not as sought after as it is in an Integra, but the benefits of this shifter are undeniable.

i. adjustable handle for ideal reach
ii. counter-weighting to make shifts smoother
iii. makes shifts faster without increasing effort.

I would say your solution is going to improve shift action, but will fall short of being the best shifter you could make. I would make the handle slightly taller than stock, compensate by extending the bottom to maintain the ratio of a short throw, and add a mass on shaft that is equidistant from the pivot as the ball on the bottom is. With these changes you'd have the ultimate shifter for this car.

If it comes out good, I would buy the design off you for the right price.
 
#34 ·
Nice idea here...I am going to offer some unsolicited input.

i. adjustable handle for ideal reach
ii. counter-weighting to make shifts smoother
iii. makes shifts faster without increasing effort.

I would say your solution is going to improve shift action, but will fall short of being the best shifter you could make. I would make the handle slightly taller than stock, compensate by extending the bottom to maintain the ratio of a short throw, and add a mass on shaft that is equidistant from the pivot as the ball on the bottom is. With these changes you'd have the ultimate shifter for this car.

If it comes out good, I would buy the design off you for the right price.
There are a few ways to go about this project to make it the best shifter ever. There are millions of ways it can be done and achieved, resulting in many different designs. I can make the height adjustable although price and manufacturing will vary. Personally I think that 1/2" - 3/4" shorter than OEM piece is perfect. I love having my elbow on the arm rest and shifting, and I dont want to take away from that comfort, especially in long trip driving. 99% of people here I think would not want to go lower than 1", and I would agree. Too low and the feel of the shifting will be lost. Making the handle longer than stock is where I would question why? I did have a longer shifter in my EG, and came to the realization that my hand placement needs to be just right or the feel of the shifting is gone.

I have put over 120K miles on my car, and know exactly what I love and hate about the OEM design. Many in here can agree with the smoothness, crisp engagement, almost effortless shifting Honda provided, but also the slow/dead feel as the shifter is about to engage. I dont want to change the effectiveness, but improve even more on it. This is where ratio study comes in.

SCIENCE :: PHYSICS: MECHANICS :: LEVER image - Visual Dictionary Online

The ratio of force provided from one end of a lever to the other end is a huge factor on shifter feel. The longer the bottom section of the shifter will be, the more of a leverage force acting on your hands will be. This is the ratio that I can control and adjust to best fit the shifters need. There is two ways to change this so it works with you and not against you. One is to make the shifter longer, which would give you more leverage, or add more weight along the shifter body.

A little sneak peak since you asked the right question :).


The four shifters I have made so far will be done strictly for testing. As you can see the shifter has added weight towards the knob side. The center point of this added weight along with the distance away from the fulcrum/center ball will give a beneficial gain to the shift. The four shifters that are made for testing have 4 different heights for first testing which height is preferable. Along with the different heights, the center of this added mass will be different. The height of the knob will vary only about 1/4" at a time. Since I know the OEM ratio from center point weight and height, I will design these 4 somewhat around that ratio. This way the OEM feel will not be lost but improved. I hope I dint give away too much there. You never know with copy cats.

The four shifter will be tested by only the most trusted members on this site. Mayuga is first since we all love his in depth reviews and biased opinion. Their biased opinion is greatly needed, since I need to know what they liked/hated from each shifter, so I can modify the design. I dont want to just make a product without deep research from people that know these cars best. Design/Engineering/Testing/Back to drawing board is how quality stuff gets made.

Marcus we can talk about you and me pairing up in the future. I dont know the business side of this, I just know the design,testing, and manufacturing side. It will be way too time consuming for me to run something like this, where you already have it running great.
 
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