oo7spy

As most of us know, the RL wood shift knob is hard to come by. If you are wanting an OEM Acura real wood knob but don't want to spend the premium for the RL specific knob, there is an alternative. The TL knob is made of the exact same wood, and while it is slightly less bulbous than the RL knob with a little less silver trim at the bottom, it will give your car the same luxury feel you seek from the RL knob. There is only one problem. It sits too high.

Here is what you need to do to make this:


...look like this:


Step 1: Tools
For this DIY, you will need:
1) A small Phillips head screwdriver with a shank at least 3" long.
2) A 1/4" drill bit at least 4" long. This is the bit that will drill the part of the shaft that the shifter will thread into.
3) A 5/16" drill bit at least 4" long. This bit is necessary to shorten the part of the shaft that will thread on to the shifter.
*NOTE* I used split point titanium bits as they are capable of going through wood, plastic, metal, and a lot of other materials.
4) A Power drill.
5) A Sharpie/permanent marker.



Step 2: Prepare the wood knob
At the very top of the wood knob shaft, there is a small screw that needs to be removed. Use the screwdriver to take this screw out. Discard the screw.

Step 3: Mark your bits
Using a ruler or tape measure, mark the 1/4" bit with the Sharpie @ 2 & 15/16" from the drilling tip. Mark the 5/16" bit 2 & 3/8" from the drilling tip. These marks will be used to indicate how far to drill into the knob.



*FWIW* The reason for these lengths is because the stock RL knob shaft is just under 2.75". The TL wood knob is about 1/4" shorter than the stock knob. To get the base to be the same height, 2 & 3/4-" + 1/4" = ~ 3". The threads on the shifter shaft are 3/4" long. Once you have extended the shaft into the wood knob, the knob will still stop once the end of the threading is reached. Thus, you must shorten the threads of the knob at most 3/4" from the end of the shaft. I went a little less than 3/4", so 2 & 3/8".

Step 4: Extend the thread shaft
Tighten the 1/4" bit into your drill making sure you can see the line you marked earlier. If you can push the bit to where the line is at the edge of the drill head, this will stop the drill right where you need it. Grasp the wood knob tightly in one hand and drill into the knob. Hold the knob vertical above the drill so that the debris can fall out as you drill. Make sure to not let the knob bottom go past your marked line as this is the indicator of how deep to drill. Once you have reached the line, stop. Put the drill in reverse and allow it to push itself out of the knob. Doing this will allow the threads to grip the shaft. If you continue to spin the bit until it is loose, you risk having a shaft too large for the threads.




Step 5: Extend the bottom of the shaft
Repeat step 4 using the 5/16" bit.

Step 6: Install the knob
You can know screw the wood knob onto the shifter. You may notice it just spinning at the top of the threads at first. A little downward pressure will help the threads to find their place. Screw the knob on until it gets tighter. Once you are there, only continue to screw it on until the Acura logo is aligned with the center of the car. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN! Just like with anything, you should never over-tighten a screw. The risk of stripping with a modified thread shaft is increased. I have tightened mine down 3 separate times and it will always be tight enough to not move under normal use. There is no need to use a lot of force with it.

Step 7: Show off
Go to the local car meet and show off your uber-luxury car to all the cool kids.

Mike734

Fantastic! My TL knob will be here Wed.

neuronbob

Awesome mod of a mod.

TampaRLX-SH

You got drilled too!???

terdonal

Nice job.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

earning your keep

Mike734

Installed the TL knob today without any mod. I'm happy with the height of the knob so ill skip the drilling. What I'm not happy with is the color seems slightly lighter/more orange and the Acura logo is very small and not very elegant looking. Photos to come.

oo7spy

I'm interested in the pics. What year is your car? It is possible the color difference is due to real wood versus "plood". I found mine to be the exact color as the wood on my dash.



The color is also going to depend entirely on the lighting. If you look at the last picture of the first post, it looks pretty orange too. This is most obvious on the steering wheel which doesn't get a lot of sun, but the dash does. The difference in lighting causes the wheel to look much darker. Part of the wheel color also has to do with it being "plood".

Also, the Acura logo is the same size for both the TL and RL knobs, so you wouldn't gain anything there from the RL knob.

Mike734

Here is a photo. I also think the knob is a little bulbus.

oo7spy

That doesn't look like my "TL" knob. Can we get more pics from another angle?

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

That might be a knock off

oo7spy

The wood looks the same. My thought is that it may be a 1G RL knob or other Acura model. It is possible too that my knob is not a TL knob, and that is the real TL knob. The color really doesn't look that much different than my last picture in the OP.

Mike734

I ordered a 06 TL knob from DelRay and this is what they sent me. I owned a 1st gen RL knob previously and it was better looking, darker, longer but had larger threads and would not screw on the 2nd gen RL shaft.

oo7spy

Damn, dude! How big are your hands? You make that thing look tiny!

I ordered mine off of eBay. What year & trim is your car?

TampaRLX-SH

This conversation is about to go to a really bad place.......

Mike734

Lol. not that big. I agree the knob looks small in that photo ( that's what she said)

oo7spy

Will you measure it? :nohomo:

That doesn't look right.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Mike734

Ironically, the smaller size means no modification is necessary.


Here you can see the difference in color.

Mike734

Can someone with a real RL knob pls measure it?

oo7spy

The RL knob has a two piece silver trim at the bottom, so we know it is not that.


Yours looks exactly like mine except 3/4" shorter and lighter. Post in the TL forum and ask what their measurement is. I wonder if you got a runt and could get it replaced.

gman44116

iTrader: (1)

LOL, you didn't ask for permission

That's okay, you can use it. Even after showing no respect....

oo7spy

You took good pictures of you product. I have no issue giving props for that.

Mike734

That RL knob looks more elegant. I'm not happy with the look of my TL knob but the size is OK. Why did they stop offering the RL knob? Damn.

EL19

iTrader: (4)

Yea RL knob looks far better than the TL one

Mike734

Well if anyone has a line on a RL knob I'm ready to buy it. Pls PM me. Thanks.

Omballs

hmmm... I get my TL knob on Monday. I ordered it brand new from HPC import salvage: http://www.ebay.com/itm/160901581822...84.m1423.l2649

I'm wondering which one of the two "TL" knobs will materialze...

I agree that the real RL knob looks the best, but there is a demand but no supply!

Omballs

oo7spy, are you 100% sure your knob is a TL knob? what year? I get this sneaking suspicion that it may be an MDX knob... Now I really cant wait for my knob to arrive to check.

Mike734, how much did you pay for that knob? part #? the one I order is: 08U92-SEP-200A

Mike734

I paid 95 delivered I think. I was always planning on 100 so I didn't worry about it. I think I'm going to return it and pursue a used one.

Omballs

Call Dustin at that HPC Salvage 18775060664. Tell him the guy in Toronto referred you. He will likely sell you a brand new one for $45-$50 shipped.

Were you able to confirm what the part # for your current one you purchased is?

for $50 I won't complain too much, but it also allows me to grab a RL one if/when one becomes available... I've been checking regularly with no luck the past couple of months

oo7spy

I bought mine off eBay. The auction said TL knob. I will confirm what it said and look for a part # when I get a chance.

Omballs

oo7spy,

so I got my TL knob and it looks identical to Mike734's. Needless to say I'm dissapointed as I thought the TL knob would look like yours and ordered it accordingly. I thought it would have been a decent alternative (given the lack of the RL). Oh well definitely not a look I'm okay with. So any idea on what your knob really is?

oo7spy

Well shit. The eBay description says, "'98-'03 TL 3.2/'01-'07 MDX Wood Shift Knob". I am not exactly sure where the disconnect happened because all I was told was "the TL knob fits", and I bought the right one. I suppose it helped having a picture to see what I was buying.

Sorry fellas. I had no intentions of leading anyone astray.

I suppose I will get the OP/title fixed.

Omballs

No big deal, just a waste of a few bucks in attempt to get a decent look. Was worth a try. I guess the key is to get a 98-03 TL wood knob and do the mod. I guess we bought the newer 3G TL knob. I had a sneaking suspicion it was an MDX knob...

Ah well the search for the real deal continues...

oo7spy

Yeah, it looks like "MDX knob" returns the best results.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/04-06-ACURA-...sories&vxp=mtr

Omballs

I think I may have found the real deal on ebay... doesn't say specifically for 2G RL, but based on the pic, i'm confident it is. I don't think any of the other wood knobs have the same extended style chrome bottom as the RL one??

oo7spy

I haven't seen any. If the wood looks the same and it has the Acura logo, I would go for it.

Omballs

yeah I saw it last night and scooped it up. Acura Logo, wood looks the same... so let's see what happens.


ACURA MDX TL RL RX OEM Shift Knob OEMBuy It Now price:US $99.00


looks like this one also sold last month: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACURA-MDX-TL...p2047675.l2557

oo7spy

That looks like an RL knob.



There was one for sale when I was buying for $75, but I got mine for $53.

Omballs

You have an RL knob? got it for $53? that's sweet... then why the "TL" knob modification? OR

did you opt to save $27 and not buy the RL knob?? if so WTH??