Sticky: 370Z Transmission Failures (6MT)

DIGItonium · 09-12-2012, 10:33 PM

Um. No? What's there to prove that I can't drive a manual? It's a daily driven vehicle. It's not rocket science for the past 10 years of driving a manual. How the heck can I screw up 5th? It's not even a gear to drive hard in.

The first transmission failed after the clutch disk fused to the flywheel. Part of that problem was due to a defect in the aftermarket clutch disk that made it difficult to get in and out of gear. After fixing the flywheel and getting a new disk, 3rd gear (last gear it was stuck on) started to grind whenever RPMs exceeded 3k. The grinding got progressively worse, so I ended up getting a new transmission.

I did a few tests, and the car drove great. Then I dealt with record heat all summer, so I didn't get to drive the car as hard. Even if I wanted to drive it hard it's as easy as flooring it while in gear. What's so hard about that? After a month I notice difficulty getting into 5th. It took more effort than usual to get it in gear. All the other gears were buttery smooth. So I ignored it for 2 more months as it progressively got worse. Replacing the fluids with Redline didn't help either. My tech took it for a test drive and had issues getting into 5th as he was exiting the freeway and suggested the replacement.

So the one I have now is about 2 weeks old, and it's doing very well.

This thread is to share experiences with failed transmissions, not about who can or can't drive a manual. If some of you don't have anything valuable to contribute, then

DIGItonium · 09-13-2012, 07:30 AM

Hehe who knows about the extra power involved. It tops off at 380 ft-lbs right now. For daily driving it doesn't see much more than 2 PSI during the week. I'm pretty sure if my engine is taking a fair bit of abuse then my engine would have popped by now (knock on wood).

The original had to do with an issue with the aftermarket disk having too much marcel. It felt like the disk was constantly rubbing on the flywheel making it difficult to shift. Of course none of us realized that until the first day at the drag strip that I barely got out of the hole in 1st when things got worse. We pretty much attribute it to overheating from the 1hr wait in line with the stop and go traffic. Several times I had issues getting in gear.

The first replacement was fine, but I barely had it for a month when I had issues getting in 5th. It wasn't notchy. Half the time it took more effort going in, but never grinded. It got worse the next couple months which is when my tech tested it and decided on the replacement.

He doesn't think it was built quite right.

Just because I'm running turbos doesn't mean I abuse this car. It is my only vehicle and it is a daily driver. I pretty much baby this car. There are others running boost and drive it like it's stolen with no problems whereas I'm driving it to work on the freeway everyday. The only time I took it to the strip was when the clutch failed, and it has been 8 years. The 350z only been to the strip once.

[EDIT] Got word about my 3 month old transmission. Hopefully I can get a hold of it for synchro upgrades.

ZOperaMan · 09-15-2012, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DIGItonium

[Update] New transmission installed with fluids. This gearbox feels very different. It is not notchy, but there is more resistance and you can feel the gears. There is slight whine in 2nd. Although I am able to shift well now, I miss the buttery ease of the last transmission. I'm going to let it break in and see how it goes from there. part number is the same.

My '09 6MT Base model transmission was recently replaced (warranty) due to a bad 5th gear grind - the new box shifts very well, and schnucks right into gear quickly. However, I also noticed a new whine in 2nd gear. Perhaps this is just a result of beefing up some parts.

--ZOM

DIGItonium · 09-15-2012, 05:03 PM

Do you notice the part number is the same? Either that or inconsistent build quality.

ZOperaMan · 09-16-2012, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DIGItonium

Do you notice the part number is the same? Either that or inconsistent build quality.

The receipt shows only 1 part number - not sure if it's the new one or the one that was replaced:
320B0-1EA0A

--ZOM

370fan · 09-17-2012, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DIGItonium

Replacement #1 (05/18/2012)
I started having 3rd gear grind that progressively got worse. It would be fine early in the morning, and then it would grind above 3k RPM. As it got worse, it grinded all the time. Also, the high RPM 1st to 2nd shift and 2nd to 3rd would grind or lock me out. Gearbox was pretty notchy as well. The transmission was replaced along with a new ceramic clutch disk, master cylinder, and a revised HD CSC.

Replacement #2 (08/30/2012)
A month after the replacement I notice 5th gear was a bit difficult to get into half the time regardless of load or RPM. I thought it was normal notchiness, which is nowhere near as bad as the original transmission (all other gears are smooth). Interesting enough, SynchroRev would rev up twice before I was able to get into the gate. The summer has been pretty hot so I've not driven hard as often, nor have I been out to the strip. There were times it wanted to pop out of gear. Then 2nd started grinding and locking out at high revs. I replaced the fluid with Redline, and it smoothed out the gearbox nicely. However, it didn't help with the occasional 2nd gear grind at high revs or 5th gear lock out. Although it never grinded, the 5th gear lockout was getting worse. My tech took it out last week for a test drive and freaked out when he had trouble down shifting into 5th while exiting the freeway. He couldn't force it in at all as if the synchros weren't there, so a new transmission is on order for this week.

I also went ahead and ordered Motul and Redline fluid for the clutch and gearbox.

[Update] New transmission installed with fluids. This gearbox feels very different. It is not notchy, but there is more resistance and you can feel the gears. There is slight whine in 2nd. Although I am able to shift well now, I miss the buttery ease of the last transmission. I'm going to let it break in and see how it goes from there. part number is the same.

So it lasted 3 years in stock form and 4 months after you put in the new fluids and clutch and HD CSC? Sounds like keeping a stock trans and fluid in there would be the best right??

DIGItonium · 09-17-2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 370fan

So it lasted 3 years in stock form and 4 months after you put in the new fluids and clutch and HD CSC? Sounds like keeping a stock trans and fluid in there would be the best right??

No direct correlation. 5th was tough getting in after a month. I tried redline for a few weeks before the tech decided to get the transmission replaced. Shift effort was great, but 5th wasn't getting anny easier. It snags every other time. My current one is running redline since it was installed. It is doing well so far.

Joepro · 06-02-2013, 03:34 PM

I lost second gear today, woot! just under 20k. 5th gear syncro would grind when cold as well. MAN DOWN. I know the guys at the local dealer so hopefully they do not give my any crap because I have a SouthBend clutch and CSC, if so, a fight they will have! This trans has always been clunky from the time I got it, nissan could never get their manual right or CVT or...

DIGItonium · 06-02-2013, 11:19 PM

Agreed. No CVT. For awhile I'd see a car getting a new CVT whenever I went in for an oil change. This included the new pathfinder.

ZOperaMan · 06-07-2013, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DIGItonium

Agreed. No CVT. For awhile I'd see a car getting a new CVT whenever I went in for an oil change. This included the new pathfinder.

Nissan sent me a letter "upgrading" the warranty on my '09 Maxima's CVT to 100,000 miles. Nice. I haven't had a bit of trouble with it though. Maybe they're actually improving...

Joepro · 06-03-2013, 01:54 PM

trans is ordered, should have the car back next week.

Joepro · 06-08-2013, 01:09 PM

One of the advisors I work with is a former Nissan service manager.... you have done well on your cvt, I hope we do not jinx it! Still waiting for mine, what suck worse is I live 1/4 from the dealer and drive past everday, still sitting there haha. Honda is switching to CVTs, I cant wait to start dealing with these breaking.

Tigger · 06-09-2013, 09:25 PM

My sister has an '07 Versa with a CVT. 114k miles and no issues yet. Also had the rear brakes finally replaced at 98k miles. Fronts are still original. Not trying to give Nissan too many brownie points but the one my sister got sure is a keeper.

On the topic of a manual tranny, maybe someone should point them to Honda for advice. Good idea, Tigger! Write Nissan corporate a letter. I will!

Joepro · 06-09-2013, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigger

On the topic of a manual tranny, maybe someone should point them to Honda for advice. Good idea, Tigger! Write Nissan corporate a letter. I will!

You know how many 3rd gear sets we put in civic si tranny's...ill help you, A LOT hahaha.

User Name · 06-09-2013, 10:05 PM

I have an 08 G37. Soon after I bought the car I noticed a whine that would change in pitch in between gears, and my engagement point was way too high. That transmission was replaced under warranty. The new transmission developed the same whine, but even nastier. It's almost a howl at this point. On top of that, there is tapping/clicking noise upon engagement. The whine/howl goes away if the clutch is pressed in. But the tapping can be heard intermittently when the clutch is pressed in. None of my local Infiniti dealerships want to deal with it. The transmission is also very notchy, and slightly lurches forward when going into first. I'm pretty sure it's the throw out bearing that's making all the noise. I'm probably just going to get the heavy duty zspeed throwout bearing, along with the South Bend clutch kit/flywheel.

09-12-2012, 10:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 44	Um. No? What's there to prove that I can't drive a manual? It's a daily driven vehicle. It's not rocket science for the past 10 years of driving a manual. How the heck can I screw up 5th? It's not even a gear to drive hard in. The first transmission failed after the clutch disk fused to the flywheel. Part of that problem was due to a defect in the aftermarket clutch disk that made it difficult to get in and out of gear. After fixing the flywheel and getting a new disk, 3rd gear (last gear it was stuck on) started to grind whenever RPMs exceeded 3k. The grinding got progressively worse, so I ended up getting a new transmission. I did a few tests, and the car drove great. Then I dealt with record heat all summer, so I didn't get to drive the car as hard. Even if I wanted to drive it hard it's as easy as flooring it while in gear. What's so hard about that? After a month I notice difficulty getting into 5th. It took more effort than usual to get it in gear. All the other gears were buttery smooth. So I ignored it for 2 more months as it progressively got worse. Replacing the fluids with Redline didn't help either. My tech took it for a test drive and had issues getting into 5th as he was exiting the freeway and suggested the replacement. So the one I have now is about 2 weeks old, and it's doing very well. This thread is to share experiences with failed transmissions, not about who can or can't drive a manual. If some of you don't have anything valuable to contribute, then physics likes this. __________________

09-13-2012, 07:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 44	Hehe who knows about the extra power involved. It tops off at 380 ft-lbs right now. For daily driving it doesn't see much more than 2 PSI during the week. I'm pretty sure if my engine is taking a fair bit of abuse then my engine would have popped by now (knock on wood). The original had to do with an issue with the aftermarket disk having too much marcel. It felt like the disk was constantly rubbing on the flywheel making it difficult to shift. Of course none of us realized that until the first day at the drag strip that I barely got out of the hole in 1st when things got worse. We pretty much attribute it to overheating from the 1hr wait in line with the stop and go traffic. Several times I had issues getting in gear. The first replacement was fine, but I barely had it for a month when I had issues getting in 5th. It wasn't notchy. Half the time it took more effort going in, but never grinded. It got worse the next couple months which is when my tech tested it and decided on the replacement. He doesn't think it was built quite right. Just because I'm running turbos doesn't mean I abuse this car. It is my only vehicle and it is a daily driver. I pretty much baby this car. There are others running boost and drive it like it's stolen with no problems whereas I'm driving it to work on the freeway everyday. The only time I took it to the strip was when the clutch failed, and it has been 8 years. The 350z only been to the strip once. [EDIT] Got word about my 3 month old transmission. Hopefully I can get a hold of it for synchro upgrades. __________________ Last edited by DIGItonium; 09-13-2012 at 08:42 AM.

09-15-2012, 05:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 44	Do you notice the part number is the same? Either that or inconsistent build quality. __________________

06-02-2013, 03:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
Joepro A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Athens ohio Posts: 1,213 Drives: Company car Rep Power: 35	I lost second gear today, woot! just under 20k. 5th gear syncro would grind when cold as well. MAN DOWN. I know the guys at the local dealer so hopefully they do not give my any crap because I have a SouthBend clutch and CSC, if so, a fight they will have! This trans has always been clunky from the time I got it, nissan could never get their manual right or CVT or... DIGItonium likes this. __________________ Swift\|Koni\|SPC\| FI CBE\|Z1\|Stillen\|Sbend\|Zspeed\|R/T Tuned\|523 whp\|458 tq\|10.5 psi\|SOLD Joepro's Journal\|Joepro's Boosted Performance Build \|Pittsburgh-Western-Pa-Ohio-Wv-Group Last edited by Joepro; 06-02-2013 at 03:38 PM.

06-02-2013, 11:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 44	Agreed. No CVT. For awhile I'd see a car getting a new CVT whenever I went in for an oil change. This included the new pathfinder. __________________

06-03-2013, 01:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
Joepro A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Athens ohio Posts: 1,213 Drives: Company car Rep Power: 35	trans is ordered, should have the car back next week. __________________ Swift\|Koni\|SPC\| FI CBE\|Z1\|Stillen\|Sbend\|Zspeed\|R/T Tuned\|523 whp\|458 tq\|10.5 psi\|SOLD Joepro's Journal\|Joepro's Boosted Performance Build \|Pittsburgh-Western-Pa-Ohio-Wv-Group

06-08-2013, 01:09 PM	#12 (permalink)
Joepro A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Athens ohio Posts: 1,213 Drives: Company car Rep Power: 35	One of the advisors I work with is a former Nissan service manager.... you have done well on your cvt, I hope we do not jinx it! Still waiting for mine, what suck worse is I live 1/4 from the dealer and drive past everday, still sitting there haha. Honda is switching to CVTs, I cant wait to start dealing with these breaking. __________________ Swift\|Koni\|SPC\| FI CBE\|Z1\|Stillen\|Sbend\|Zspeed\|R/T Tuned\|523 whp\|458 tq\|10.5 psi\|SOLD Joepro's Journal\|Joepro's Boosted Performance Build \|Pittsburgh-Western-Pa-Ohio-Wv-Group

06-09-2013, 09:25 PM	#13 (permalink)
Tigger A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NM Posts: 8,063 Drives: Awedeeeeee Rep Power: 604	My sister has an '07 Versa with a CVT. 114k miles and no issues yet. Also had the rear brakes finally replaced at 98k miles. Fronts are still original. Not trying to give Nissan too many brownie points but the one my sister got sure is a keeper. On the topic of a manual tranny, maybe someone should point them to Honda for advice. Good idea, Tigger! Write Nissan corporate a letter. I will!

06-09-2013, 10:05 PM	#15 (permalink)
User Name Base Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Charlotte Posts: 19 Drives: 2008 G37 Rep Power: 14	I have an 08 G37. Soon after I bought the car I noticed a whine that would change in pitch in between gears, and my engagement point was way too high. That transmission was replaced under warranty. The new transmission developed the same whine, but even nastier. It's almost a howl at this point. On top of that, there is tapping/clicking noise upon engagement. The whine/howl goes away if the clutch is pressed in. But the tapping can be heard intermittently when the clutch is pressed in. None of my local Infiniti dealerships want to deal with it. The transmission is also very notchy, and slightly lurches forward when going into first. I'm pretty sure it's the throw out bearing that's making all the noise. I'm probably just going to get the heavy duty zspeed throwout bearing, along with the South Bend clutch kit/flywheel.

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