I just wanted to know if it would be bad to replace that PITA pin with a bolt? I have heard other people mention doing this but never got any real feedback on it? Anyone ever do this and have a problem or does anyone see a problem with doing this??

 

which pin are you talking about here?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ED3-D15T &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">which pin are you talking about here?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Well there is only one pin that everyone calls the bitch pin, the shift linkage pin

 

I believe it's an M8 bolt you need to use.

Personally I'd stay away from it. If it was meant to come with a bolt it would come with a bolt. And what're you going to do if that bolt somehow rattles loose? The bitch pin comes with a little c-clip cover overtop it - you can't use that if you put a bolt on.

To me it's not as safe; I've had my torque rod fall off the transmission before because that torque rod retaining bolt rattled loose and it's not pretty (don't ask). So to me engine vibration being able to rattle a bolt loose isn't something to sneer at; it's entirely possible. Mine fell of, luckily, while I was stopped. If it had fallen while I was moving, I can imagine the rod pogo-sticking into the ground and ripping the shift lever assembly through the cabin of the car... basically like a giant stake placed in the ground. Use some mental imagery and decide for yourself if it's worth the risk!

 

Yeah not the kind of image that I would want to picture happening to my car!!!

I know what you mean by theres always a chance but what if used some loctite? I could use the stronger stuff that will lock it good but not too much to where it wont come off?

But I guess better to be safe than sorry and have the nice image become reality!!

 

A bolt would work and if you use a nylon nut, you shouldn't have any worries about it coming out. There is one issue though. You really need a bolt that fits VERY TIGHT in the hole. Any clearance between the hole and the bolt will cause a lot of play in the shifer and it will feel like ****. Probably the best way would be to thread the hole on the shift rod coming out of the tranny and get a bolt for that size thread.

 

i think steve has the right idea. to be super safe, i would tap the shift rod and then put a locking nut at the end of the bolt. this way you have double "protection".

****, i'd even run a locking washer, too, and put locktite on the nut!

 

You have to ask yourself, with all these loctite-d bolts, and washers, and locknuts.... which would be harder to take out?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by raene &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have to ask yourself, with all these loctite-d bolts, and washers, and locknuts.... which would be harder to take out? </TD></TR></TABLE>

my way, of course. at least you know it will come out...as for the bitch pin you are never really sure.

 

I used a bolt and mine was fine, just make sure you have the right thickness bolt cause if not you will notice your shifter will be very sloppy and won't be able to get into certain gears. Any little bit of play in the linkage will cause this, make sure you get bolt with a tight fit.

 

what is everyone's problem with this so called "bitch pin". When i swapped my b18a, i removed both the integra and civic pins with no problem. use a bolt that is the same size, hold it up to the pin, and a couple whacks, it comes right out. I swear some people are just lazy or something :S

 

I run a bolt in mine...it gives it a nice sloppy feeling. Actually I didn't want to put the pin in because i knew I would be pulling the b16 out soon. Something better is coming.........buhahahaha

 

i never had any trouble with my pin. with a draft/punch and a hammer, it came out in a few hits. Personally, i'd stick with the pin, there has to be some reason that Honda used a pin there instead of a bolt, we just havnt figured it out yet.

 

I'm trying to get out my bitch pin right now infact so I can drop my steering rack!

I guess I have to go buy a punch because I have a habit of doing things right the first time!

 

Come on guys............how much $$$ are we talking about. Go to the dealer and see if they got one or check the hardware store and look for "roll pins".

If you're gonna do it..........do it right.

 

using a bolt its a good idea u just have to find the right bolt that will go in snug fit

i have used a bolt before.... it was the best from honda that will fit (exhaust bolt) and made the shifter a lil wably.... other than that i think its easier and safer to have a bolt from top to bottom along with a self locking nut......i say take the pin and find a bolt that will go in there tight and u set to go!

 

I run an M8 bolt with loctite on it and it has been fine ever since. My shifter is just as crisp as when I had that stupid pin in there. The nyloc nut is a good idea though, I think if I recall mine is just the regular nut.

Also my brothers MX6 has a bolt for the linkage. However it is longer than a Hondas one.


Modified by FourthGenHatch at 5:40 AM 6/21/2003

 

If the linkage fell out of the car, nothing would happen. THose rods are both thin wall hollow tubing. The stabilizer fell on mine when I was driving down the street once, and I pulled into a driveway. It caught the lip of the driveway, and made a VERY clean break in the tubing that was super easy to just put back in position and weld up.

You wouln't rip anything out from under the car. Those two bolts you use on the linkage are MUCH stronger than the tubing, trust me.

The reason Honda uses a pin is because it can expand to completely fill and keep pressure on the linkage. This keeps slop out of THAT connection. Bolts can wear out, come loose, and break, but that pin expands to self adjust.

Keep the pin, grow a sac.

 

Good to know!

 

And a zip tie, dont forget to use a zip tie! They fix everything

 

Yeah it might not be a bad idea to add some kind of piece of wire to hold that linkage from scraping the ground should that bolt ever come off.

 

I used a bolt on the last 5 swaps or so i have done, no problems, go for it.. I use a 10 mm bolt off of something, and an exhaust manifold nut, never came loose.

 

well if u use a bolt comming from top to bottom, even if nut comes off the gravity will keep that bolt in the shift linkage...... happened to me before and theres not enough vibration to make that bolt jump so high and come off...
botl its a good idea and will not come off..... the trick its getting one that will snug fit...

 

OK first I have to say that this has nothing to do with me being "cheap" or "lazy".

If you think about it if I am going to buy a high grade bolt a lock nut and loctite that will probably cost more than the bitch pin itself.

As for being lazy well damn if I am going to take the time to actually tap the rod so the bolt threads into it also that would be more time consuming as well.

I just wanted to know cause as someone posted above the motor that I am putting in wont be in forever I will be swapping it out sooner than later.

But I still want it to hold up for awhile and plus even if it wouldnt damage my car the last thing I would want to happen is for it to fall out what am I going to do carry a jack and extra bolts with me to fix it somewhere down the road?? I wouldnt want that to happen.

Oh and as for some people thinking about the nylon lock nut along with loctite that wont work the loctite will eat away the nylon on the nut so it would have to be a pinch nut or some other kind of lock nut without the nylon insert.

 

Ok what you have to use is a bolt and the nylon locking nut...I used it on the track and it works fine you don't have to re touurqe anything...no worries EXCEPT the the bolt is not the perfect size for the hole as it is a BIT smaller. So the bit of play at the hole translates to a lot of play at the shifter. Remember the Pin Expands in the hole so it is the perfect size. So its your choice try and see.

Again use a bolt a spring washer and the nylon lock nut....no loctite needed.

The absolute perfect situation here would be to pull the tranny out and redrill the shiffter rod hole so that it is perfect with a bigger bolt size...but again that would be a bitch, oh wait theres that word agan