How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

[Omaha95PGT]

Much thanks to spada for telling me about this mod...(write-up by Omaha95PGT)

Tools required:

-13mm box end wrench
-13mm socket and ratchet
-snap ring pliers
-small flat screwdriver
-2 blocks of wood of even height (or some other equivalent objects)

Parts required:

-'88-'95 Honda Civic STS (single or double bend) Find it on eBay Keep a close eye on shipping costs
-White lithium grease
-light oil (PB Blaster, Marvel Mystery Oil, WD40, etc)
-3/8" brass bushings, or nylon washers

Procedure:

Refer to this picture for the next 3 steps: http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts12.jpg

-unscrew shift knob
-remove center console by lifting the front edge first then the rear edge. It's attached by snaps so pull up smartly
-pull up on the emergency brake to facilitate the center console removal
-lift up the center console; unplug the wiring harnesses and remove the ashtray bulb/harness from the console socket
-set aside the center console
-remove sound dampening mat to make more room

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts13.jpg

-peel off the rubber boot off of the shifter base

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts14.jpg

-slide the boot up and off the shifter
-use your snap ring pliers to squeeze the metal snap ring together. Be careful b/c the snap ring may go flying when the pliers slip. Once off set it aside.

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts15.jpg

-use the snap ring pliers to pull one edge of the nylon snap ring. Use the screwdriver to lift one side of the snap ring up in order to overlap the edge of one side of the ring over the other, then pry the ring out. Set it aside

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts16.jpg

-the upper shifter cup will now be visible
-push on one edge of the upper cup. It will pivot up on the other side. Use the screwdriver to get behind the edge and pry up on the cup. The upper cup is pliable and will come out thru the hole as you pull on it with your fingers

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts17.jpg

-go under the car and remove the catalytic convertor if more room is needed. If you have a test pipe you should have plenty of room. Bend the heat shield down if even more room is needed.
-spray the shifter linkage nut with PB blaster if it appears corroded
-remove the linkage nut and bolt with the 13mm wrench and ratchet

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts18.jpg

-go back up top
-slowly but firmly, pull up on the shifter and lift it out of the shifter "hole"
-disassemble the stock shifter as follows:
-remove both nylon bushings from the base of the shifter by prying between the metal shifter and the bushing
-lubricate the lower shift boot with some WD40/PB Blaster/Marvel Mystery Oil to make it easier to slide the boot over the seemingly large base
-remove the lower shifter cup past the shifter base by lining up the shape of the shifter base with the rectangular opening in the cup
-set aside the stock shifter
-set up the 2 blocks of wood next to each other and spaced such that they will contact the edges of the lower cup but will not block the opening on the underside of the cup
-set the shifter base on top of the shifter cup and press down firmly with some slight wiggling to aid in advancing the shifter base thru the cup. Be sure that the base of the shifter lines up in terms of width with the rectangular opening at the bottom of the lower cup. Do not worry about breaking the cup since it is made of a firm yet pliable plastic. It will flex enough to allow the base to pass thru it (no cutting necessary as in other install guides)

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts19.jpg

-lubricate the lower boot with some lithium grease and reinstall it over the shifter base, but be sure to orient it properly (i.e. not upside down). You may also want to grind down any sharp edges of the base of the shifter to prevent splitting the lower boot as you slide it on.

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts20.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts01.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts02.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts03.jpg

-lubricate the ball and the cup with liberal amounts of white lithium grease
-lubricate the sides of the lower cup with grease so that it seats into place easily
-orient the lower cup such that the rectangular opening is a horizontal rectangle not a vertical rectangle
-install the shifter back in the car, press it firmly into place to seat the lower boot properly

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts04.jpg

[Omaha95PGT]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

-turn the top cup upside down, lubricate it and place it on the shifter ball

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts05.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts06.jpg

-install the nylon snap ring

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts07.jpg

-install the metal snap ring. You may need to tap it down a bit to seat it better. You may not be able to seat it fully, but that's ok.
-lubricate the top boot with light oil then slide it down the shifter shaft. Work it back over the shifter base ring.

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts08.jpg

-go underneath the car and apply a glob of lithium grease to both sides of the shifter. This will aid in holding the brass or nylon bushings in place as you slip the shifter linkage over the base of the shifter. You should select a bushing that is about as thick as a penny or at most as thick as a nickel. Use one bushing on each side of the shifter base.

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts09.jpg (this pic shows the bushings above the penny that come with the STS meant for the Civic, the bushings below I picked up at Ace Hardware for $0.65 each)

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts10.jpg (in this pic the very thick bushing is the bushing that came with the Civic STS...the penny and the brass Ace Hardware bushing are about the same)

(Upon further evalution, the bushing should be as small as the one that came with the Civic STS with regards to diameter. Alternatively, use a nylon washer of larger diameter)

-reinstall the linkage nut and bolt. Tighten the fasteners securely, but do not overtighten as this may cause some binding and notchiness of the shifting. If there is too much play in the shifting tighten the fasteners more. If it's too notchy, loosen them a bit.
-reinstall the center console and wiring harnesses
-reinstall the shifter grip

http://home.comcast.net/~mmunoz70/z/csts11.jpg (Double bend Civic STS as it sits in the PGT)

That's it! You are done.

[Omaha95PGT]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

Review: The Honda STS is a cheap but effective substitute for dedicated Probe/MX6 STS's. One of the local ChiPOC guys wanted one installed so I decided to give it a try. I read the MX6 install guide and it seemed ok. spada noted that cutting the lower cup was unnecessary so I decided to see for myself. It's true. Cutting is not necessary at all. Just apply some force. Some notes:

-the ball actually doesn't sit in the cup but rather on the rim of the lower cup. The upside down upper cup provides a cup shape to guide the shifter ball
-in our installation, the 2nd gear shift had a very slight hook inwards (towards center) at the last centimeter of throw
-shifter throw is reduced by at least 1/3
-shifter height is appoximately the same
-shifter effort is unchanged (very easy to shift...much easier than an RR-Racing shifter which is notchier)
-there is some play in the shifter probably b/c the bearing ID is larger than the shifter linkage bolt. If you could find a sleeve to fit inside the bearing but around the linkage bolt you'd be set. In addition, the bushings on either side of the shifter base are not completely the correct thickness to take up all of the gap. Probably a bushing the thickness of a nickel would reduce the side to side play
-the difference between the single bend (like the stock shifter) vs the double bend is that the double bend will make the shifter sit a bit further back and more upright than the single bend model. In the end, it's a matter of preference
-the top boot is on really tight once you slide it over the Civic STS. Be sure to lubricate it before attempting to remove it again.


As noted I'll add more picture links on Monday night or Tuesday morning

[spada]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

word! This will stay at top until the STS questions settle. then will be moved to archive. cuz this is one of the best and cheapest mods you can do. i agree, shifting is VERY EASY with this shifter. i used some nylon washers from home depot that take up the entire length of the linkage and got a new bolt to fit the bearings. no play!

[casper211]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

if you dont use a washer the same diamiter(length from top to bottom) then it will not work corretly. the washer is suppose to go in between the bearing in the shifter and the side of the linkge, if the washer is to big(like the penny) it will sit between the shifter and the linkge thus negating its whole purpose

[Omaha95PGT]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

The penny was an option. I never tried it. We used the brass bushing in the pics. btw, if you can find a sleeve to go thru the bearings that would match the ID of the center hole for the bearings and the OD of the linkage bolt, you can reduce the play in the Civic STS.

[casper211]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

i bought some washers that were the same size length wise and half as thick, the hole was a little smaller in the middle so i bored it out with my dremel

[skelly]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

Nice write up, thank you - this should be the last shovel of dirt on the grave of over-priced short shifters for our cars, may they rest in peace.

[KaedenKy]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

Where did you purchase yours? I saw them on ebay for as little as 14 bucks! My god, But I am leery about the quality of most ebay companies.

[skelly]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

I got one of those $15 eBay ones

The product was exactly as seen in the photo, 1-piece CNC machined aluminum with real bearings and a couple brass bushings - excellent quality, price probably made possible through volume production.

[casper211]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2468905458

this is the one i bought, from this company. i highly recomend them, i arrived as promised, new in box and they ship within 48hrs of payment. btw what are some differances between the one i have(two bends) and the one skelly has(one bend) does it make a difference

[skelly]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

It looks like it will only affect the position of the shift knob. Mine will be farther back & at a slight angle. I'm actually kind of digging the double-bend ones. I didn't see them when I bought mine, and they're even less expensive (unless the "shipping" makes up the difference in cost, I didn't check)

[casper211]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

it was 20.99 after shipping

[Impact93]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

Hey omaha, great write up.

Could somone please give a defined list of the best bushings to use, there are a few types recomended here and i was just wondering what the best one thus far was...and where you purchased them from.

ty guys

[Omaha95PGT]

Re: How to: Honda Civic Short Throw Shifter (STS) Install/Adaptation Guide

Now that I have looked at the bushings an an STS up close again (I just bought one too). I'd follow casper211's suggestion. If the washer is too large it will drag on the bearing face. Get one the same size as the ones that came with the STS, but thinner and with a smaller hole. I just picked up some brass #8 washers. The hole is too small, but I'll probably drill the hole open a bit more to fit the linkage bolt. the washers are about 1/4 the size of the bushings that came with the STS so I'll have to put 2 on each side ( I super glued 2 together to make them easier to handle)