Acuity Instrument's Short Shifter

[zumbooruk]

Are most of you running Hybrid Detent Springs with the Acuity Shifter?

I installed the Hybrid short shifter and bushings, but I forgot to install the detent springs, and I did not feel like taking everything apart again.

I am very curious to know if the Hybrid detent springs do indeed make a difference and worth taking everything apart to install...

Sponsored

 

[Nikw91]

I installed the Hybrid short shifter and bushings, but I forgot to install the detent springs, and I did not feel like taking everything apart again.

I am very curious to know if the Hybrid detent springs do indeed make a difference and worth taking everything apart to install...

They made a HUGE difference when I put them on. Just haven’t installed the Acuity shifter yet

 

[phothrottle]

Just installed this shifter after grabbing it on the Black Friday sale.

I haven't seen many reviews leaning towards the neutral side so I thought I'd chime in.

I found the difference to be more tame than I expected but I think that's mainly because of the shift knob + collar I'm running. I'm running a 40mm Battlecraft knob + the Seeker shift boot collar. On the stock shifter, once I changed the collar I noticed things got much notchier.

Fast forward to installing the shifter yesterday, the difference isn't largely noticeable to me other than it being more difficult to shift since it's new. I figure I may need to do the bushing upgrade as well to fully get the experience but if you're running a relatively thin/small knob already without much dampening on stock, you may not feel as big of a difference like myself.

Also even when adjusting the gate spacing, 3 & 5 feel too close. I have to adjust it a bit more.

I do think it's still worth it if you're looking for adjustability though

I love the shift knob and collar. Looks like very nice fit and finish. Many people complain about the Acuity collars. This one looks like the fitment is spot on. Thanks for sharing the feedback on the shifter assembly it is nice that you have the option to dial it to your taste, liking and shifting style. No other shifter assemblies allows you to do that at this time.

 

[neilisnext]

Would you explain to me how the shift boot collar affects the gear change feel please?
I’m old and senile so please be clear.

I've only noticed it specifically with this Seeker shift boot collar.

It's thin compared to the Hybrid racing collar (which I previously had) & the OEM collar so I think it removes some of the dampening

 

[atlcivic]

I asked acuity directly about the detent springs, why they don’t sell any and if they had any thoughts on pairing it with their shifter. They advised against it so I’m not planning to do it:

“The reason we do not sell detent springs is they are bad for your transmission. When Honda designed the detent springs in the transmission, the hardness of the two contacting materials (the detent ball and the groove it sits in) was very important in relation to the detent spring rate. By increasing the detent spring rate, you will greatly accelerate the wear of the detent groove in the transmission housing. On top of that, increasing that rate will only mask the sloppiness of the shifting system, not actually fix it. There is no physical improvement to be made with adding them, and we highly recommend not installing them, so we do not sell them.

There would be no advantage to improving directness by adding detent springs because they just make it harder to engage/disengage gears. Centering springs also do not add any directness to the shifter. They will either increase or decrease the centering force of the shifter, depending on which preload you have on your shifter (we offer a low preload and a high preload spring in addition to the one that comes with the shifter). Which preload you decide to go with is completely a personal preference.”

 

[Spart]

I installed mine today (finally, it's been sitting since the Black Friday sale) and I'm pretty pleased with it.

I would note that I tried to go for only a minimal reduction in throw, and instead focused on getting the shift knob to sit higher and a bit closer to me. With just a small reduction to the stock throw, the difference in feel is immediately noticeable and a welcome improvement. For those of you who may feel the shifter is too tight or notchy after the install, you might've overdone it sitting in the garage with the engine off adjusting those gate spacing and throw settings. Loosen it up some and then go actually drive it.

Anyway, I posted my other thoughts as well as notes on how I maxed out the shift knob height with the factory DE5 boot here: https://www.integraforums.com/forum/threads/acuity-shifter-short-review.59176/

 

[artsyfartsyFL5]

Installed mine a couple of weeks ago along with ChasingJs Shift Boot Delete Plate, going to install the Acuity Cable Bushings when I do my PRL intake this week. Dialed it down as much as possible (gate, throw and shifter height). At first, it was a bit too crazy, but now I'm very happy with it.

 

[joshinthecity]

I'm into the no-boot thing. 🫡

 

[artsyfartsyFL5]

I'm into the no-boot thing. 🫡

Yeah, big fan of it, especially with the price tag on the Acuity, I wanna see as much as I can, lol.

 

[phothrottle]

Installed mine a couple of weeks ago along with ChasingJs Shift Boot Delete Plate, going to install the Acuity Cable Bushings when I do my PRL intake this week. Dialed it down as much as possible (gate, throw and shifter height). At first, it was a bit too crazy, but now I'm very happy with it.

Looks great

 

[artsyfartsyFL5]

Looks great

Appreciate it, brother!

 

[Phenom3030]

I asked acuity directly about the detent springs, why they don’t sell any and if they had any thoughts on pairing it with their shifter. They advised against it so I’m not planning to do it:

“The reason we do not sell detent springs is they are bad for your transmission. When Honda designed the detent springs in the transmission, the hardness of the two contacting materials (the detent ball and the groove it sits in) was very important in relation to the detent spring rate. By increasing the detent spring rate, you will greatly accelerate the wear of the detent groove in the transmission housing. On top of that, increasing that rate will only mask the sloppiness of the shifting system, not actually fix it. There is no physical improvement to be made with adding them, and we highly recommend not installing them, so we do not sell them.

There would be no advantage to improving directness by adding detent springs because they just make it harder to engage/disengage gears. Centering springs also do not add any directness to the shifter. They will either increase or decrease the centering force of the shifter, depending on which preload you have on your shifter (we offer a low preload and a high preload spring in addition to the one that comes with the shifter). Which preload you decide to go with is completely a personal preference.”

This concerned me so I messaged Hybrid and received the following response:

There are layers of truth in that reply.

One thing I agree with is that feel is ultimately a matter of preference. If you don’t like a stiff or notchy shift, detent springs probably aren’t for you.
That said, it’s important to clarify which detent you’re actually talking about. On the L15 or K20C platforms (as used in the 10th/11th-gen Civic), there are multiple detents—five in total. Depending on which spring is being changed, the reasoning and the outcome can be very different.

It’s true that increasing detent spring force increases the load on the shift forks, which can increase wear. However, how meaningful that wear is depends heavily on circumstances. Detent-related wear only occurs during a shift, so the real question becomes: how many shifts does it take before that wear is noticeable?

All detent springs already have a defined service life and operating spec. As they age and lose tension, their effectiveness drops. This is extremely common on older K-series gearboxes, and it’s precisely why replacing worn detent springs often makes such a noticeable improvement in shift quality.

They’re also correct that stiffer detent springs increase shift effort— in which they promote their own shifter by saying it does the same thing. Again, that comes back to preference.

In short, this still boils down to personal preference and intended use. The wear argument, while technically valid, is likely negligible in real-world terms. By the time it matters, you’re probably talking about a gearbox that’s decades old and has gone through millions of shift cycles. For most people, especially for newer-generation cars with low miles, the detent springs really aren't needed... then again, there are tons of customers that DO enjoy the increase shift stiffness.

Sincerely,
David Cordell
Brand Manager

 

[HKSpeed]

I installed the HR detent springs 10 months ago. I also have the HR shifter and cable bushings. The springs increase the effort/force needed to go in/out of gear. The resistance is comparable to shifting an automatic between PRND. The automatic's tactile feedback allows you to feel which gear you're in without looking down at the shifter. I like the additional tactile feedback, but others don't based on comments on FB groups and Reddit. Matter of personal preference, like aftermarket rear motor mounts. Some people hate it and immediately remove it. Maybe the detent springs add wear and tear, but I also read debates that an aftermarket rear motor mount adds wear and tear to the side engine mounts.

 

[axion_industries]

Has anyone used this and also the fk8 version?

I heard they upgraded their springs on the fl5 version to be more linear. I’d like to hear a comparison between the two if you anyone has experience with both.

We made the Fk8 one work on our FL1 chassis 3 years ago, needs to me modified to work but loved it

 

[Nikw91]

I’ve had hybrid detent springs for 15,000 miles now and love them.

Debating on whether to keep them on or swap to OEM when I install my Acuity short shifter.

Have not read about to many people running Hybrid detent springs and the Acuity short shifter.

Sponsored