Clutch issues w/ z1 cscek
 

I’ve done a lot of research and everything I’m finding points to csc failure. So help me out here.
I was driving and the car was just fine. About 10 minutes into driving the clutch felt like it was losing pressure. Of course at this point I hit traffic. Starts becoming a fight to get it into first gear and once in gear the car starts moving forward even with the clutch depressed.
Checked my fluid and it was at min but let the car sit for a while and didn’t see any fluid anywhere under the car.
Let the car sit for a couple of hours and restarted it to see if it was any better. Clutch pedal still seemed softer than usual but could easily get it into gear, until about 10 minutes into the drive when it started becoming very difficult to get it into gear again.

I have the z1 csc elimination kit installed on the car. My question, is it just a matter of adjusting the z1 kit somehow? Could air possibly have entered the system somehow and it needs to be bleed? Could it be the cmc which appears to still be the oem unit? Checking this morning the clutch pedal seems to have a little droop to it and isn’t returning completely to the top.

This is my daily driver so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

First thing I'd do is fill the reservoir. May need to bleed the system. If still having problem, I'd check lines/connections, then CMC, then CSC replacement.

Thanks! I’ll top it off and go from there. Thanks for the quick response!

When topping the fluid level off it stirred up the fluid already in the reservoir and I noticed stuff floating around in it. Almost paper looking. Any idea what this could be? What should I do about it? Even topped off the clutch is softer than it should be

I don't know. Maybe someone that knows more about the system than I do will chime in.

You may need to bleed the system.

Bleeding it is next on my list. Currently trying to find a friend to come press the clutch for me. I guess I’ll report back with the results from that

Ok new update. Clutch isn’t depressing completely. I noticed this when the car wouldn’t start. With clutch pressed down almost as hard as possible, it’s just barely brushing the switch to be able to start it. Is there a way to adjust this? Does this have anything to do with the z1 cscek?

The FSM (link in my sig) has adjustment procedures.

Thanks again! You have been extremely helpful today. I appreciate that a lot

You are welcome. Pass it on. :tiphat:

I'm surprised that some of the MT folks haven't jumped in already. All of my MT experience is with much older systems, non-hydraulic (eg, Ford Toploaders), but hydraulic systems are all pretty similar.

Now that you have the FSM, you can find out all sorts of interesting stuff about your Z. :)

That's the exactly symptoms of the Z1 CSCEK being out of adjustment. I have first hand experience with it. That kit goes out of adjustment by itself very often. So either replace the junk kit or be prepared to always be adjusting.

How many miles since the kit was installed? 2011 Nismo is probably right on the adjustment, although I don't find it going out of adjustment randomly. Mine has needed a very simple adjustment on average about every 10K miles for the last 50K miles.

But to confirm his statement that the kit is junk, my cylinder has failed twice... can't wait to switch to the ZSpeed CMAK.

The clutch switch is adjustable to a certain extent. But why is this all of a sudden a problem? It shouldn't be moving on it's own. Has anyone been working on the clutch pedal at all? RJM install maybe?

It may be that his master is going bad and not letting the pedal depress all the way

Yea the adjustment for the switch is maxed out and the pedal still doesn’t reach it. I bought the car with the kit installed and have no idea how many miles on it but only 41k miles on the car.

How do I adjust the kit?

I ordered a new cmc as well to hopefully help.

I will try to upload a picture of the clutch. I’m not sure if it’s factory or not. I know there’s a green wire that possibly looks aftermarket running out of the switch. And I don’t see a helper spring anywhere or where it would even mount

https://www.z1motorsports.com/z1-pro...it-p-7340.html

This link has the installation manual with the instructions to adjust it on page 14.

RJM Pedal Images for refrence
http://www.rjmperformance.com/370z--...ssemblies.html

Just replace the z1 cscek with the zspeed kit if you can. I just had a weird issue with my z1 cscek. I went to readjust it and I lost all pedal pressure (never even opened the bleeder or the hydraulic system).

I tried vac and gravity bleeding, nothing worked. I totally removed the bleeder and nothing was coming out. I had to totally remove the bleeder valve and hookup my vac bleeder straight to the threaded hole in the howe cylinder. once I started vacuuming from the bleeder hole, fluid started to flow out again.

I then tried to bleed it again with the bleeder valve attached, nothing. The bleeder valve is bad but luckily I have pedal pressure again. I also notice my little helper spring on the howe cylinder is broken.

This kit is getting replaced when I get a chance to work on the clutch.

This, my Z1 kit went out of adjustment after about 1k miles of NYC driving. After 3K miles the cylinder failed. A few hundred miles and 1 track weekend and it was out of adjustment again. The Zspeed kit is on 10k miles NYC driving and multiple track days all with the orginal master, cylinder, which causes the Z1 kit to fail :icon17:, and not 1 issue.

Need some help. Installed a new clutch master cylinder today. Tried every different bleeding technique I could find and nothing.

No matter what I do, no pressure at top of pedal stroke at all, minimal mushy feel at bottom 3rd of stroke. No combination of anything every resulted in the pedal needing to be pulled back to top position. Always returns to top on its own but not building any pressure. I’m stumped

When you open your bleeder, do you have fluid coming out? If not, you may have the same issue I had. You'll need to somehow pressure bleed or vacuum bleed the system. I used the harbor freight brake pneumatic brake bleeder kit. I completely took off the bleeder valve on the howe slave cylinder. Then I put the vacuum fitting over the hole to suck the fluid through the slave. After I did that, fluid would flow normally like a gravity bleed.

Then I was able to get pressure in my pedal.

Ok thanks. I know it says not to use a vacuum bleeder on it but I think with the cscek and using very little vacuum I should hopefully be ok. Headed to Harbour freight now so I can give this a try. Thanks.

Update: the external cylinder on the z1 kit had a leak that did not allow it to build any pressure. Got ahold of z1 And I’m having the part overnighted to me. Hopefully back on the road tomorrow!