Honda K20A2/K20Z1/K20Z3 5-6 Gearshift Fork 24201-PNS-010

Honda K20A2/K20Z1/K20Z3 5-6 Gearshift Fork - 24201-PNS-010

Tearing your K20 6-speed transmission apart for a rebuild and the 5-6 shift fork's got grooves worn in it? Part number 24201-PNS-010. This is the OEM shift fork that slides your 5th and 6th gear synchronizer sleeve back and forth to lock those gears to the mainshaft. The fork rides on a shift rail inside your transmission. When you grab 5th or 6th gear, the fork shoves the synchronizer sleeve over to engage that gear. When the fork's worn or bent, you're grinding going into 5th or 6th, the shifter feels like crap, or worst case, you're popping out of gear under load. Fresh fork gets your 5-6 shifts working right again.

Here's What the Shift Fork Actually Does

Your transmission's got multiple shift forks inside - one for each gear pair. This is the 5-6 fork. It's a Y-shaped piece of aluminum that straddles the synchronizer sleeve. The two prongs fit into a groove machined into the outside of the sleeve. When you move the shifter, you're moving the shift fork. The fork slides the synchronizer sleeve along the mainshaft. Slide it one way and 5th gear locks to the shaft. Slide it the other way and 6th gear locks to the shaft. That's how you select gears. The fork's got to move the sleeve smoothly and hold it there while you're driving. When the fork's worn where it contacts the sleeve, it can't hold position anymore. You're getting slop in the shift mechanism and the gear's not staying engaged properly.

They Wear From Normal Use - And Break at the Track

The shift fork's aluminum. The synchronizer sleeve it slides against is hardened steel. Every single shift, that soft aluminum fork's rubbing on hardened steel. Over 100k+ miles and tens of thousands of shifts, the fork wears grooves where it contacts the sleeve. Once it's worn, it doesn't grip the sleeve firmly. You've got play in the mechanism. You're getting grinding shifts, notchy feel, or the transmission's popping out of 5th or 6th when you're on the gas. The fork can also bend if someone money-shifts or beats on the transmission. A bent fork won't push the sleeve straight and you're getting incomplete engagement or constant grinding. Here's the thing - these forks can break at the track. We've seen it happen with other shift forks during hard racing. One hard shift and the fork snaps. Transmission's done, weekend's over. If you're racing or doing track days with your RSX Type S or Civic Si, keep a spare 5-6 fork in your toolbox. When you're two hours from home at the track and your fork breaks, that spare saves your weekend. It's like twenty bucks. Cheapest insurance you can buy against a DNF.

You're Splitting the Case to Replace It

The shift fork's buried inside your transmission. There's no shortcut to get to it. Trans out of the car, case split, shift rails pulled, gears off the shafts. It's a full teardown. If you're already doing a complete transmission rebuild, replacing worn shift forks is just part of the job. Don't look at a fork with grooves worn in it and think "eh, it's probably fine." It's not fine. Fresh forks mean your rebuilt transmission shifts the way it should. If you're only opening the trans because of 5-6 shift problems and everything else seems okay, pull the fork and inspect it closely. Worn or bent? Replace it. Looks good? You've probably got a different problem - bad synchronizer, chewed up gear teeth, something like that.

What You Get

• Honda OEM 5-6 gearshift fork (part number 24201-PNS-010)
• Slides 5th and 6th gear synchronizer sleeve
• Aluminum construction
• Mounts on shift rail inside transmission
• Same fork your transmission came with from the factory

Fits Your Car

• 2002-2006 Acura RSX Type S
• 2006-2011 Honda Civic Si

Compatible Transmissions

• K20A2 6-speed (2002-2004 RSX Type S)
• K20Z1 6-speed (2005-2006 RSX Type S)
• K20Z3 6-speed (2006-2011 Civic Si)

Note: This fork's specifically for 5th and 6th gear. Your transmission's got separate forks for the other gear pairs, make sure you're ordering the right one for whichever gears are giving you problems. When you're installing this fork, inspect the synchronizer sleeve closely. The fork rides in a groove on the sleeve. If that groove's damaged or worn out, your new fork isn't going to fix anything. Check the shift rail for wear or damage too. The fork slides on that rail. Any burrs or rough spots will make the fork bind up. Clean the rail and make sure the fork moves smoothly before you button everything up. When you're reassembling the transmission, make sure the fork's seated properly in the synchronizer sleeve groove. If it's not engaged right, you'll have shifting problems the second you try to drive the car. Follow your service manual for assembly sequence and torque specs. If you're rebuilding your trans and the 5-6 fork's worn, check the other forks while you're in there. If one fork's worn, odds are the others aren't far behind. Way better to replace all the worn forks now while the trans is apart than to put it back together and discover you've got 1-2 or 3-4 gear problems a month down the road.