RJM Clutch Pedal System for 370Z - Fully Customizable Clutch Feel & Stroke

TreeSemdyZee

I have a stupid question. I've been driving manual cars for years and I'm a little confused now as to how the clutch is supposed to "feel". To me, the Z feels pretty much how all of my other cars have felt.

What is the desired feel that everyone is speaking of? A friend of mine who has done racing for years (Ferrari Challenge Series for one) said the same thing while driving my car that most of the people here are saying.

40 to 332

Hey Ryan, there was a post today (by dragonbreath) stating that he was having problems with water leaking into the driver's side and collecting in the footwell and behind the driver's seat. He did a water test but could not locate the source of the leak because of the insulation covering the firewall. However, he suspects that it may be related to the installation of the RJM clutch pedal assembly, and that the water is penetrating where the CMC and pedal assembly join. Have you had any reports of this problem? I find it a bit strange. I installed the RJM assembly and had no issues, but I'm mainly a fair-weather driver. Provided the assembly is tightened down properly as explained in the instructions, I can't see how it could leak. That said, it would be interesting to hear from others who have installed the RJM assembly whether they've experienced any problems with water leakage.

Ryan @ RJM

40 to 332, Thanks for posting about this. I've not seen or heard any reports of this unusual problem in the past or in the nearly 30k kilometers I've put on my G37S Coupe (daily driver in all weather) with the same RJM pedal assembly,master cylinder and firewall seals as the 370Z. Now neither my pedal assemblies or the factory pedal assembly have any sort of weather seal at the base of the bracket as they're both actually standing off of the firewall about 3/8" and only contact the firewall where the studs come thru. The factory pedal unit has stamped depressions where the studs are and my units have round spacers that fit between the firewall and the bracket to serve the same purpose.
If there is a leak at the firewall I would suggest that Dragonsbreath should look carefully around the master cylinder itself as the firewall seal is between the MC and the firewall from the engine bay side. Just speculating but if he pushed the MC away from the firewall during the install its possible the seal didn't go back in the same place or maybe bunched up causing a gap for water to seep in. However that area of the firewall is pretty protected above the wheel well and shrouded with plastic so I think it would be pretty hard for much water to make it up in from there unless there was tons of water pouring on it which there really shouldn't ever be.

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Ryan @ RJM

Well since fellow owners haven't chimed in yet I'll take a shot at what I feel the important improvement points are:

First the factory pedal feels VERY numb and disconnected from what the clutch is actually doing. Not feeling what the clutch is doing takes away a lot of driver feedback which helps you feel the critical engagement points. This is due to the spring clutch assist mechanism Nissan used starting already back with the 350Z in 03'. Lighter springs are available from several people here but they make very limited improvement and I'd say 8 out of 10 370Z customers who buy my product tell me they wasted $20bucks trying the spring mod band-aid solution first but weren't happy with the results.

2nd is the long travel and very high engagement point where for a big guy like myself me knee was practically hitting the dash before the clutch would engage on the upstroke of the pedal. In factory form the clutch pedal is taller than the brake pedal height making it awkward to adjust the seat comfortbly, ideally both should be at the same height. This high pedal put me sitting almost all the way back to compensate which is a compromise at best. The RJM pedal allows you to safely lower the pedal height to be equal to or lower than the brake if you so choose.
I say safely as with the factory assembly altering the pedal height down messes with the function of the spring assist mechanism which can stick in assist mode and burn up your clutch and throw out bearing in short order.

3rd is the ability of the RJM to alter the pedals leverage ratio and master cylinder travel. By reducing the master cylinder travel it eliminates the excess travel at the bottom of the stroke and lowers the friction point closer to the floor which many find more enjoyable than a really tall friction point. The increase in pedal leverage means you have finer control over the clutch release and a wider range of pedal motion that is actively modulating the clutch. This leads to much smoother and faster 1-2 shifts which are hard to get consistently smooth on the factory 370Z pedal without a lot of effort put on getting the perfect timing and rpm's just right. With the RJM the 1-2 shift becomes smoother, easier and with less mental effort... it just comes naturally and more fluid which is hard to explain but must really be felt to understand.

4th, not really "feel' related and many don't know this but the RJM's reduction of excess pedal stroke and master cylinder travel reduces or eliminates the chance of OEM concentric slave cylinder failure. Slave failure is almost always the result of over stroking the CSC inside the bellhousing causing the seals to rupture when the CSC piston reaches the end of its designed travel but the master cylinder/clutch pedal continues to push. When the seals burst it's almost always instant death for the CSC. Plus it means getting towed and possibly replacing the clutch too if clutch fluid sprays onto the clutch disk permanently contaminating it.
Reducing the excess pedal stroke is a good thing for extending CSC life and I've had customers who've had 2 or 3 CSC's replaced in a row by the dealership who then installed the RJM pedal and never had the issue return. As well I've never heard of a single CSC failure from any customer running the RJM pedal in the past 2 years of sales while there are hundreds of other 370Z & G37 owners that are still struggling with CSC failures out there on the various owner forums.

So in closing there is no particular pedal feel the RJM pedal generates. Everything about the RJM pedal is geared around personal preference. It allows the flexibility to adjust your clutch pedal to whatever feels right to you, your specific clutch setup and your own unique driving style.

Like everything it has its limits and can only do so much but it gives you a lot of options and adjustment room you'd never have with a stock pedal.

__________________

Home of the A.F.P. Upgraded Clutch Pedal System. Smoother Launches, Smoother Shifts & Improved Clutch Control Like No Other Pedal Mod You've Experianced Before Guaranteed!
Visit www.RJMPerformance.com or Email Ryan@RJMPerformance.com Also Don't Forget to Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/RJM-Performance