Honda Civic (FN2/FK) Short Shifter Kit Installation
Introduction
This guide covers fitting an aftermarket quick-shift (short shifter) kit to the 2006-2010 Honda Civic, including the FN2 Type R and the FK 2.2 i-CTDi (Type S / CTS) and 1.8 petrol models. The kit replaces the three rubber base bushes at the foot of the gearstick with shorter metal bushes and adds an extension collar to the lever ball, tightening the front-to-back gear throw for a quicker, more positive shift (it does not affect the side-to-side movement). The mechanical work is quick, but the modified joint fouls the plastic gear-rod opening, so most of the effort goes into repeatedly test-fitting and filing away plastic until every gear selects cleanly. The kit is sold under several names; at the time of the thread Shortshiftuk supplied it for around 24 GBP against Japspeed at roughly 40 GBP. Adapted from a community writeup by Stevo M81 on Civinfo (https://www.civinfo.com/threads/how-to-install-a-japspeed-shortshifter.78160/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Socket or spanner set for the shifter base bolts
- Trim removal tool / plastic pry tool for the console and gaiter surround
- Small removal tool supplied in the kit (for the blue ball cap)
- Flat screwdriver
- Coarse round or oval hand file
- Rotary tool (Dremel) - strongly recommended for faster, cleaner material removal
- Grease
- Blu-Tack / white tack
- Bench vice or wide pipe wrench (helpful for seating the blue cap)
- Hacksaw, jigsaw or sharp chisel (for the extra trim piece on non-Type R models)
Parts Required
-
Honda Civic 06-08 short shifter quick-shift kit (Japspeed or Shortshiftuk) - includes the short shifter unit, blue ball cap, three metal base bushes and a cap removal tool
-
Grease for the shifter ball
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Unclip the cigarette-lighter/12V connector beneath the armrest before lifting it fully clear, or you risk straining the wiring.
- ⚠ Cutting and filing the trim is irreversible, so remove material conservatively and test-fit frequently rather than over-cutting in one go.
- ⚠ On the 2.2 and 1.8 the extra surround piece requires substantial removal; a hacksaw, jigsaw or sharp chisel plus a file will be needed if you do not have a rotary tool.
- ⚠ Only attempt shortening and re-threading the gear shaft if you are confident, as a botched die cut can ruin the lever thread.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Confirm the kit and application
Check that the kit matches your car before starting. The same quick-shift kit fits the 06-08 Civic range, so it works equally on the FN2 Type R, the 2.2 i-CTDi and the 1.8. Lay out the contents and identify the short shifter unit, the blue ball cap, the three metal base bushes and the small plastic removal tool. Kits often ship without printed instructions, so keep this procedure to hand.
2 Remove the gear knob and gaiter surround
Unscrew the gear knob and set it aside. Grip the trim at the very base of the gearstick and lift firmly upward; the plastic gaiter surround is clipped in and will unclip so you can lift it clear of the lever.
3 Free the armrest and centre console
Prise off the two small black caps at the rear of the armrest, one on each side, to expose the fixings beneath. Undo the four bolts they were hiding. This releases the armrest assembly from the console.
4 Disconnect and lift out the armrest
Raise the armrest from the end nearest the lighter socket. Bring it up only a little at first: an electrical plug for the lighter is attached underneath and must be unclipped before the armrest will come away fully. Once the connector is released, remove the armrest completely.
5 Remove the lower dash panel
Take off the single small cover on the driver's side, then release the four push-clip fasteners, two on the driver's side and two on the passenger's side. Draw the lower dash pocket out. If an iPod or aux lead is routed through it, feed the cable out through the opening in the back of the pocket as you withdraw the panel.
6 Release the black cover and blue ball cap
At the foot of the gearstick, unclip the retaining clip on each side of the black cover and slide the cover downward to free it. Then take the supplied removal tool, slip it behind the blue plastic ball cover and lever forward until the cap pops off the ball.
7 Unbolt the base and remove the rubber bushes
Undo the bolts securing the shifter base. Releasing the adjacent clip on the linkage makes the rubber bushes easier to reach. Push the metal centre sleeve out of each rubber base bush first, then work the rubber itself out. Repeat for all three positions.
8 Fit the three metal base bushes
Press a little Blu-Tack around each of the new metal bushes; it holds them in position while you seat them, since they are fiddly to remove and refit. Install all three, checking that each metal bush sits the correct way up (upright, as supplied) before it goes in.
9 Refit and tighten the base bolts
Return the base bolts to their locations and tighten them down evenly. This completes the base end of the conversion.
10 Press the blue cap onto the short shifter
Smear grease over the top of the ball on the short shifter, then push the blue cap fully home over it. A bench vice makes this much easier; a wide-opening pipe wrench squeezed gently will also seat the cap. It can be done by hand but takes more effort.
11 Install and fully seat the short shifter
Fit the short shifter onto the base of the gearstick and make sure it is pushed right down until the end bottoms out; a partially seated unit will not shift correctly. If it is too tight to drive home by hand, take the blue cap back off, tap the end gently with a hammer to coax it fully in, then re-press the cap. Tighten it in place.
12 Test every gear and file for clearance
Refit the black cover and screw the gear knob back on so you can run through every gear. Expect the modified joint to catch: on the Type R it fouls the gear-rod opening in 2nd, 4th, 6th and reverse. File the bottom edge of that opening back until each gear engages smoothly. On the 2.2 and 1.8 there is an additional plastic surround piece (part 7) not present on the Type R; it also fouls in 1st, 3rd and 5th and needs a large amount cut and filed away, or you can simply unbolt and remove it (three bolts) rather than reshaping it, especially if fitting a Type R gaiter. A rotary tool removes material far faster than a hand file; finish with the file for a clean edge. Remove a little at a time, reconnect and recheck repeatedly until all gears slot without resistance.
13 Reassemble and road-test
Clip the retaining clip back onto the black cover around the blue cap and run one final check through the gate. When every gear selects cleanly, refit the lower dash, reconnect the lighter plug, replace the armrest and its four bolts, press the gaiter surround back into place and refit the gear knob. Take the car out and confirm the shorter, tighter throw across all gears.
Pro Tips
- 💡 The bulk of this job is filing, not fitting: several people removed the mechanical parts in around ten minutes but spent up to an hour or more clearing plastic for full gear engagement.
- 💡 A Dremel or similar rotary tool makes the clearance work dramatically quicker and neater; a coarse oval file can leave an edge that looks factory-finished.
- 💡 If the short shifter will not seat fully, remove the blue cap and tap the unit home gently with a hammer, then press the cap on with a vice or pipe wrench.
- 💡 On non-Type R cars, unbolting and removing the extra plastic surround piece (three bolts) is often easier than butchering it, and it is hidden once the gaiter is back on.
- 💡 If the lever feels stiff or notchy after fitting, working WD-40 into the joint and shifting back and forth several times can free it up.
- 💡 Swapping the blue cap over onto a different (for example Type R or Mugen) selector takes only a couple of minutes; the small balls inside the cap are normal and retain it on the ball.
- 💡 Optional advanced step: trim the lever top by 10-12mm, then chase a fresh thread further down the shaft with a die for an even shorter shift; the Type S 2.2 shaft was measured about 10mm shorter than the Type R.
- 💡 The kit can be fitted on top of a Mugen quick shifter for an even shorter throw and reportedly cures the common notchy third-gear engagement.
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