budgetshifterSaving a few bucks on a performance upgrade is always a great idea as long as you aren’t buying cheap knock-offs or impacting safety or reliability. I managed to stumble upon this idea during a botched ebay transaction. You maybe thinking, “this doesn’t sound like a good idea. Why are you writing about it?”  Stick with me for a moment and you’ll understand.

I had been running a B&M shifter on my Civic for quite a few years and I had grown weary of the corrosion issues that cause the sleeve to bind. I decided to switch to an OEM Integra shifter. I found one on ebay for a reasonable price and bought it. The problem I had with the shifter is that the bottom pivot had been cut, presumably to allow it to fit into stock Civic linkage. This detail was never mentioned in the description and the pictures hid the modification. After a brief dispute, I was able to return it and get a full refund.

The shifter was useless to me however I realized that it was worth pointing out the inexpensive factory like upgrade for Civics.

From top to bottom:  B&M, OEM Integra, OEM Civic.  The chromed OEM shifter came in later versions of the Integra.  Earlier versions of the shifter were black.
From top to bottom: B&M, OEM Integra, OEM Civic. The chromed OEM shifter came in later versions of the Integra. Earlier versions of the shifter were black.  It’s clear that the B&M offers the greatest change in shift throw.  The increased length below the fulcrum point along with the shorter length above generate a dramatically decreased throw.  Comparing the Integra shifter to the Civic, although not as dramatic, you will notice that there would be a decreased throw with the Integra shifter.
A view from the side of each shifter
A view from the side of each shifter shows the difference of where the shift knob will reside.  B&M’s offering is nice, but you will be reaching further forward.  This picture also shows more clearly the difference in the length below the fulcrum between the Civic and Integra.
The only difference in how the shifter is attached between the Civic and the Integra shifter
The only difference in how the shifter is installed between the Civic and the Integra is the length of the tube on the bottom.  Cutting this tube on the Integra shifter will allow it to fit in Civic shifter linkage.  The shifter in this picture was cut correctly however I would never have cut and used the pivot sleeve in this condition.

The easiest way to cut down the tube is to use the original Civic shifter and mark off the section that need to be cut with a marker or masking tape.  Then, use a band saw, hack saw, or reciprocating saw and do your best to keep the cut as square as possible.  Use a file to clean off any burs.

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I don’t have a picture of this modification with the proper sleeve, so I’ll have to use this as an illustration.  Once the cut is complete and burs have been removed, transfer all of the hardware from the original shifter.  The plastic inserts, metal sleeve with o-rings and dust seals.

With everything complete, the shifter is ready for installation.

If you need any help with installing the shifter, check out my short shifter install page.