Hello,

I just got a 2015 Fit LX White.

I want to make a custom shift knob out of a large plastic icosahedron (20 sided perfect Euclidean solid for the geometer crowd, or 55mm d20 for the gaming crowd)

I ordered up a 12.5mm to 10mm x 1.5 thread reducer to attach the new knob with. I plan to drill a hole in the knob and epoxy the reducer in place. The 2015 has a leather/vinyl shift boot. Will I need a part to keep the shift boot from dropping away when I put on the new knob?

I have never done this sort of thing before, but I am assuming it is not rocket science.

I'll post some pictures when I am done.

Thanks for any input,
AZ

 

I just wrap several layers of electrical tape around the shifter rod and put a zip tie around the tape to support the ring where I want to boot to sit so it doesn't fall down.

Sounds janky but you can't see it and it's never fallen apart on me, so good enough.

 

ok so I too have been meaning to do my own shift knob (sitting deep in the project list). I honestly never knew the proper terminology for the threaded collar sleeve. I'd be curious to know where you ordered that from.

Its not rocket science and you have a consistent shape so I don't think you have too much to worry about final alignement. If I was you, I'd chop up a 4x4 (or similar cheap block of wood), and practice drilling a few holes to get a feel for how deep you need to drill and rough fitment. You'll really want a drill press for your D&D dice . The trickiest part will be securing it so you can drill without damaging it or it torquing around.

 

Thanks for the tips. I used a drill press and built a jig out of scrap 1x4 pieces. The drilling wend very smooth and easy; it was a new sharp bit, and I kept a stream of water from a spray bottle going on it, and backed out to let it cool down every 1/4" of drilling depth. This was probably overkill in being careful, but I only had one die.

I wanted the shape, but I also wanted something subtle to the eye and comfortable to the hand. I dremeled out the numbers and sanded the whole thing down and then filled in the numbers with epoxy putty and then sanded it all smooth. I sprayed the whole thing down with Plasti dip primer, and then followed the primer with many thin coats of black Plasti dip. The result is a black icosahedron with a uniform, slightly textured rubber grip that is very comfortable and blends seamlessly into the car's interior. I know that Plasti dip will peel with time, but I am hoping that with the Plasti dip primer it will take a long time to do so. I put the OEM shifter in foam cavity above the spare tire, so if I need to work on this knob again I have the old one on hand.

The only isue I have so far is that the adapter I ordered has very loose fitting threads. I screw on the knob until the shaft contacts the plastic at the bottom (or top) of the hole I drilled, but it very easily comes unscrewed a little and feels slightly loose. It still works fine, but feels completely wrong.

Would locktite be a solution here? Could I use a little blue locktite to get it to stay put, but still be able to get it off in the future?

 

Try using a lock nut on the bottom underneath the knob? Either that or you can add lock screws to the bottom of the knob that go through to the shift rod like universal knobs have on them.

You could try the lock tite if you already have it but I have a feeling it's not going to be as solid as you'd like it to be.