thatklazzickid
Well-Known Member
i looked into getting a different automatic shift knob but decided to tackle the tl/cl/prelude gated shifter swap and im glad i did! i love the way it looks. i had it swapped into the car in less than 2 hours, partly due to starting late and having light issues with doing it in the dark. i highly recommend it.
i used this tutorial when i did mine. the only part you need is a TL/CL shifter assembly from 2003 or earlier. the prelude one works too, they are pretty much the same aside from the gears indicated, but that doesnt matter. i paid 50 for mine on ebay and bought the shift boot a little after i did the swap. im not sure why, but when i did mine, the center trim piece, (the woodgrain one in my car) didnt fit around number 1 in the pic below. number 2 is a trim piece that comes off of the assembly.
since i was using a shift boot, i didnt need part number one in the above pic, or the part indicated in the photo below.
with those off, i bolted in the shifter assembly, hooked up the shifter cable, and took the stock trim piece (number 2 in first pic) and glued it to the woodgrain trim piece.
a couple things, i dont have a boot retainer so the bottom of the boot is just kinda spread out as best as i could get it, doesnt lok too bad but def would be much better with a stock boot retainer.
i left this for last bc it is something for which i have no pictures and couldnt find any while doing mine, the gated assemblies from the TL/CL and Prelude have two locking mechanisms to prevent accidental shifts; one from park to reverse, and the other from neutral to reverse, both operated by the depressing the brake pedal. the stock assembly has both as well but one is done by the brake pedal (park to reverse), but the other (neutral to reverse) uses the button.
now, with the shifter assembly in hand, push the button on the right side that releases the locking mechanisms a few times to get an idea of how they work. the one closest to the front of the shifter (the end with P on it) is the shift lock for park. The one closest to the base of the shifter (the end with D1<>D2) is the one for reverse. the park shift lock is taken care of with the wiring, the reverse shift lock isnt controlled in our cars because the Accord doesn't have the proper wiring for it since we have a button. This is the plastic piece that you're going to have to cut.
in the tutorial he used a dremel, i dont have one but i was able to use a pair of wire cutters and cut the plastic piece in half from the top and finished off with another cut. pretty easy.
Soon after i did this mod i questioned why i spent the money but now, im glad i did! it really cleans up the interior and looks so much better.
heres how mine turned out.
Shift boot was purchased from this eBay seller
you said you didnt want a leather knob, but thats fine cus you can put on whatever knob you want really
i used this tutorial when i did mine. the only part you need is a TL/CL shifter assembly from 2003 or earlier. the prelude one works too, they are pretty much the same aside from the gears indicated, but that doesnt matter. i paid 50 for mine on ebay and bought the shift boot a little after i did the swap. im not sure why, but when i did mine, the center trim piece, (the woodgrain one in my car) didnt fit around number 1 in the pic below. number 2 is a trim piece that comes off of the assembly.
since i was using a shift boot, i didnt need part number one in the above pic, or the part indicated in the photo below.
with those off, i bolted in the shifter assembly, hooked up the shifter cable, and took the stock trim piece (number 2 in first pic) and glued it to the woodgrain trim piece.
a couple things, i dont have a boot retainer so the bottom of the boot is just kinda spread out as best as i could get it, doesnt lok too bad but def would be much better with a stock boot retainer.
i left this for last bc it is something for which i have no pictures and couldnt find any while doing mine, the gated assemblies from the TL/CL and Prelude have two locking mechanisms to prevent accidental shifts; one from park to reverse, and the other from neutral to reverse, both operated by the depressing the brake pedal. the stock assembly has both as well but one is done by the brake pedal (park to reverse), but the other (neutral to reverse) uses the button.
now, with the shifter assembly in hand, push the button on the right side that releases the locking mechanisms a few times to get an idea of how they work. the one closest to the front of the shifter (the end with P on it) is the shift lock for park. The one closest to the base of the shifter (the end with D1<>D2) is the one for reverse. the park shift lock is taken care of with the wiring, the reverse shift lock isnt controlled in our cars because the Accord doesn't have the proper wiring for it since we have a button. This is the plastic piece that you're going to have to cut.
in the tutorial he used a dremel, i dont have one but i was able to use a pair of wire cutters and cut the plastic piece in half from the top and finished off with another cut. pretty easy.
Soon after i did this mod i questioned why i spent the money but now, im glad i did! it really cleans up the interior and looks so much better.
heres how mine turned out.
Shift boot was purchased from this eBay seller
you said you didnt want a leather knob, but thats fine cus you can put on whatever knob you want really
