The shifter in my car is very loose and sloppy. I heard that this is due to bad shifter bushings. Since I would have to drop the exhaust and go through all the same work as installing a short throw, would it be smarter to just instal a new short throw shifter, or stick to just replacing the bushings?
get a b&m short throw, they are the most solid shifter you can get for our cars, and get the ES bushings, it gives you a great solid gated feel. and you don’t have to drop the exhaust to get the stabalizer bar off, just unbolt it from the car and the change rod and pull it out
I have the Edelbrock short shifter w/ urethane bushings and its great very short and crisp.
Im rockin the b&m. Install was pretty easy, but you gotta ditch your stock heat shield cause it gets in the way. ALl the shifts are really clean, and clicks into every gear. The throw is so short, and on the inside of your car, the knob drops about an inch or so. Solid purchse, 65 with the bushings shipped. Cartunerz.com
I had this problem too, probably bc of the fact that my car has 213k miles on it. I first tried solving it by buying an ES bushings kit. That barely did anything for me. Turns out I needed a whole new shifter linkage (the little “joint” that flexs right before it goes to the tranny gear selector shaft was completely worn out).
Anyway, before installing the new shifter linkage, when my car was in any given gear, I could literally move the knob back and forth about 1 to 1/2 inches each way, left and right (no lie!). After I installed the new shifter linkage, this movement was reduced to, at max, maybe 1/4" each direction. Try the ES bushings first, if that fails, try a new shifter linkage. I got a brand new one for about $50 or so off of http://www.acuraautomotiveparts.org/
This is a great site, they sell OEM stuff cheap.
I might add at this time I also ended up installing an APC short shifter (yah, I know…APC…its basically the only thing APC I’de buy…). It works well, the throws are pretty short, and it looks nice.
BTW you can get the ES bushings off ebay for about $10 I think, and an APC short throw for about $12-$15. Hope this helps.
i got the b&m pro for around 150. with that peice you get rid of ALL the bs that causes the “looseness.” yea, i did get rid of the heat sheild, though, but i was already in the process of doing that anyway. i’m completely happy with my shifter, and it was super easy to install.
B62, could you specify for me what “joint” you are talking about? Is it the thing covered in the rubber boot very near the transmission? Or is it in the whole shifter assembly dealy? Because I replaced my bushings and such like a lot of people do, and I still have about an inch of play like you did. I would love to know specifically how you fixed it. Thanks!
-Max
email: Skateboy@callatg.com
THRICE, heres a pic from www.acuraautomotiveparts.org (great site for cheap quality OEM Acura parts).
I’ve circled in red the whole assembly I bought, and circled in blue the actual “joint” I was talking about. You can’t buy just the joint, as it is connected to the whole shifter assembly. But as said before, it’s not very much at all for the whole assembly. Hope this helps.
It did totally clear up the play I had in my shifter, what’s there now is just normal “play”, which is basically next to none (considering the rest of my car has 213k on it 
Great! Thanks for the info. Looks like I should replace that too…
-Max
Me too, I have new B&M SS and ES bushings and still very sloppy play at the shift knob. There is a ton of play at the ‘bitch pin’ linkage on my shift rod. Thanks for confirming my suspicions about all the play at that joint. New shift rod will be ordered soon.
i will vouch for the B&M pro its expensive compared to all of the 50$ ones but a year later i havent had any problems with looseness or anything like that, plus its the shortest shifter i have ever felt, solid as hell too.
The best thing you can do is get an ITR shift linkage and shifter. By far better than b&m or anything aftermarket. Add some Prothane bushings to it and it is incredible. I’ve never had more precise shifting. Ive had b&m before, and this is much, much better. Should run you around $150 for the set, plus bushings. Well worth it! Its short, very very solid, and OEM!
The keys to eliminating shifter slop are:
- Poly shift bushing set (more for precise feel)
- Install short shifter with a fresh bearing setup (circled)
I installed a Megan Racing shifter in Nov and it completely changes the driving dynamics. Not saying it’s the best out there, but eons better that what it was. I actually got away with not taking the exhaust off to change the shifter… a lot of cursing, but I would’ve needed a cutoff tool to get the exhaust off. 
Just confirming, is this the rough price of the items new or used? Also, do you know a place where they can be purchased? My shifting is pretty sloppy and this sounds like a good upgrade. Thanks
this is used. You can buy new ones, but it will run you a little more. Used are just fine. Everyone local here that is running it all bought it used, and none of us have every had a problem with it. They are only 4yrs old or so, versus the 13+ year old ones in our cars.
You can ask most places like inlinefour, JHP, PASSWORDJDM, etc for them.
So with the ITR shift linkage, you can purchase a B&M short shifter for an ITR and call it a day?
If you are gonna spring for the ITR linkage, you may as well get the ITR lever itself aswell, IMO
Seems kind of silly not to, the price of a B&M vs a nice used ITR is probably close, why not get the shifter designed for the linkage. I would feel silly if the B&M rattled or something anyway, but thats me. The ITR lever has shorter throws as well
No.
ITR shift linkage and shifter.
I don’t know if we are seeing eye to eye.
I understand you are suggesting changing out the entire shift assembly with the ITR shift linkage including the shifter.
I was asking if the ITR shift assembly was installed in the DA, I am assuming that the ITR shifter will work fine. But, if you wanted to go even further and install an aftermarket short shifter, like the B&M, would you be able to do so? If so which application? The DA or the ITR shifter? I am assuming the ITR with the dual bend shifter?
TIA!
are DA & DC shifters interchangable?
i believe so, so i do think you can run a B&M shifter purchased for use in a DA, on the shift linkage of a ITR if you would like.
seeing as civic/integra/itr shifters are sold as being able to work with either car, it would make sense that the mounting points of both linkages are the same…