Installing my clutch and flywheel tonight, any tips?
 

I'm gonna be installing my new clutch, flywheel, and HD CSC tonight. I am going off a my350z.com installation guide, just as a helper, but for the most part, I'm going off intuition and just common sense. :tup:

Does anyone have any resources or tips for the install? Also, does the service manual have a page for that?

The only other thing I would recommend is installing a new CMC too. Though, it's easy enough to do after the fact.

Joe told me the same thing, but I didn't have too much spare funds, heh. But yeah, afterwards isn't really a big deal. ^^

for one you HAVE to at least put in a new CSC every time you change the clutch. per the manual. something about getting clutch material on the CSC shaft and it entering the cylinder and prematurely failing. you will have to open up the tranny to get it out. pretty big hassle not to do it right the first time.

Would a new CMC be needed being his car is only a 2012? I'm a 2011 and I'm fine. I know there's been issues but I'd have to wait till it fails. Hopefully a HD MC will be coming to the market.

Maybe, maybe not. My car had 7000 miles on it when I changed my clutch and it turned out my CMC needed to be replaced. It's just something to be prepared for I guess.

I finished my clutch and flywheel install last tuesday morning - man, that was fun!

Nissan sure was kind in making all the electrical connectors around the tranny removable by unbolting them - that was neat. I got the tranny out pretty easy and straightforward, the DXD kit and HD CSC installed perfectly, and everything came back together no hassle. Just took a bit longer than I thought because of the stupid clutch line flare nut being stuck, but nothing a micro torch couldn't provoke loose. :D

Worst part was I tipped the end of the tranny by accident, and spilled what must have been a quart of fluid. Whoops. Had to make a trip to AutoZone for some Mobil-1 75w-90 for now, but later I'll have some Redline oil in there.

In any case, speaking of the master cylinder, I found some funny behavior - I'm 300 miles into break in, so I still have some miles left, but sometimes, the pedal will be soft until halfway down, where it becomes hard again. And after a few clutch ins, the pedal will be normal again, where it is hard all the way through the travel. Is this a sign of failing CMC? Or is it just that it's gonna be wonky until it's more broken in?

Also, wouldn't getting an OEM CMC just have the same issue?

Sounds more like a fluid issue. You mentioned loosing some, is it possible the line needs to be bled again or just needs more fluid?

Possibly. I'm gonna be bleeding the line again soon with some ATE superblue to be safe.

Try bleeding it.

My clutch would start out firm (or so I thought) and after a short drive I would experience what you described. Soft pedal until half way to the floor. The pedal would come back after the car sat for a few hours.

I replaced the CMC and it has been perfect. The pedal is more firm than original, and the firm feel starts within .5"-1" of taking up the slack.

I just finished bleeding it - it seems to have worked, haha. If anyone reads this thread, the Motive Power Bleeder with the ford head also fits the clutch reservoir. I found that out randomly!

The pedal pressure seems to be like how it was before I bled it again, but this time, the pedal drop is the original .5-1 inches. Lets hope it stays this way.

I know Joe is working on a HD CMC, so hopefully that will be an option soon. :driving:

Good job!

How much pressure did you pressurize the bottle to?

Crossing my fingers that it works. :D

Jsolo, I pressurised the bottle to about 5 psi, until the cap blew off, and tried bleeding it around there, but then i figured it wasn't enough psi, so I used some zip ties around the clutch resevoir, and pumped it to 15 psi. The fluid didn't come out as a clear line, probably due to the line being pointed down.

^^That's quite a bit of pressure. I recall the FSM explicitely stating not to use any pressure bleeders on the clutch. Reason probably being the clutch MC having much smaller seals than the brake mc, and operating at significantly lower pressures.

How'd you wear out the clutch so fast in a 2012?

Ahh, lol. I should start reading more. :bowrofl:

Me? Several factors, haha. I pretty much learned manual on this car, so it had some pretty bad slipping in the beginning. Also, I participate in drifting, and god did I clutch kick the car HARD. I also powershift through gears down the drag strip, since we have a soft-rev limit. Through all this abuse (28000 miles), I must have glazed the disc over.

That's why I called Joe, asked for a setup that could handle this abuse, plus a turbo kit, and didn't look back. (Or at my wallet. :tup:)

Welp, I spoke too soon.

Drove around town today and felt the pedal getting softer and softer - thought to myself, "must still be air somewhere." Drove to the auto parts store to get more fluid, and only made it to school before I felt the pedal become horrible. All of a sudden, I look down and see my pedal stuck to the floor.

Dead master cylinder, for sure. :/

or CSC.

Hope not he said be put a new CSC in

I put in the HD CSC, and after calling Joe, we both confirmed the master cylinder went out. The seals in the assembly probably didn't seal anymore, and just let fluid rush past. The clutch can still disengage, but I only have 1 inch of pedal travel. Getting a tow home soon.

Yep, that's what happened with my CMC. Easy fix.

How long did it take for you to do the install? Jacks or lift?

link to the DIY install guide please?

I'd like to try and do this install myself and would like to know what tools are needed to tackle a job like this.

Also, where did you buy your CMC?

A DIY to changing out the clutch?? That's a pretty major job and a big undertaking. I think the scope of this is beyond most garage mechanics. Dropping the trans is a bit different than doing an oil change. At least a 2 person job.

If you're interested, a good starting point would be the fsm.

The OP just did it himself, not unreasonable at all.

Cell, here's a link to the 350 DIYs

http://my350z.com/forum/engine-drive...wt-clutch.html

man i didnt even see the part about putting in a new HD CSC.

good luck, keep us posted

@diddy535, bookmarked that page. Will give it a read later tonight.

If you have a well equipped garage, I suppose its doable. Would need some way of supporting the trans. Air tools would be helpful too. Main concern is if you're looking for a diy, this might be too big of a job for you. There's lots of little details and nuances that the diy won't cover - certain procedures and techniques. Knowing how to deal with issues as they come up, etc.. If you're mechanically inclined and have some idea what you're doing, by all means go for it!

Definitely true Jsolo and the FSM is a must have too like you said.

I did the install in about 6-7 hours, haha. To be honest, it could have gone quicker, but I kept finding a reason to go into the house and make a snack. :tup: It's honestly a pretty straightfoward install!

I used 4 jack stands, set to highest point. I used a long, low profile jack as my transmission jack. Granted, I did have a friend over to help.

I used nothing but basic hand tools - no air tools. Make sure to have swivels, extensions, many sizes of wrenches, and ratchets. It's really not too bad!

I bought my CMC from Joe@ZSpeed. Best price I could find on short notice.

It is quite a daunting task - but I'm nothing more than a shade-tree kinda guy! I've never done a transmission in my life, but I consider myself to have lots of mechanical knowhow and common sense. The FSM helped greatly, just to check on what I'm removing, in the right order. But it's nothing crazy, my order of work was:

Exhaust>Driveshaft>Shifter Assy.>Transmission electrical connectors>Transmission. It's very general, but it's nothing crazy like pulling a motor or anything! More detailed instructions would include the lower metal bracing, starter motor, and slave cylinder stuff.

Agreed! Having the mechanical knowhow is the biggest help in working on a car. Just knowing why stuff works and tricks and tips is the key to victory. Just remember - a surgeon didn't assemble your car, just another guy that works at a factory. If he could figure it out, you can too. :tiphat:


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I actually was gonna take pictures and do a diy, but to be honest, at 4 in the morning, I was less than excited to do so. Sorry! If anyone has any detailed questions, I'll be happy to help and talk to you!

I'll update you guys on the CMC - it seems like an easy job. 2 bolts hold it in the engine bay, and just the push rod to disconnect from the pedal. Afterwards, I'll flush the system, gravity bleed, then 2 person bleed. :icon17:

800 Lb. Low Lift Transmission Jack

How about that to get the transmission down?

You know, any time I do a job that requires tool purchase, it's really an investment in yourself and saving money down the line on paying a shop if you're inclined to do the work yourself.
It's ALWAYS best to do the work on your terms instead of when it fails. Very important to keep an eye on the car to catch a problem before it fails completely.

Two things you can't waste money on: Tools and education. Besides if I tell my wife I'm saving 1000 dollars CSC changed myself and it requires 200.00 of new tools to change a 90 dollar CSC, she won't say a thing... and I get new tools! Worst case you could rent the major tools if ya have to.

congrats on the new parts and doing it yourself, James!

Don't feel bad, my clutch was showing signs of wear & tear at 26k miles. And my CM took a sh*t after I had my aftermarket clutch & HD CSC installed.

So how do you like the lightweight flywheel????

We have a DIY garage on base. It has every tool you could possibly need and a mechanic or two to help out if you need something. It's 5 bucks an hour for a lift and tools are free. I've been in there for upwards of 4-5 hours at a time and save so much money.

Im in there for a long time because i'm learning. It took me 3 hours to put on my brake pads and rotors. Why? Because i'm new to working on cars so I refer back to the DIYs on this site and the service manual.

I know not everybody has access to a garage or these resources. I'm actually drawing up a business plan to shoot to some guys I know to see if they will finance it to try and get a garage started just like the one we have on base.

Welcome to Lackland Force Support Squadron - link to the one on base.

Thanks, Ray. :tiphat:

I looked at my friction disc, and I actually have plenty of life left, haha. I'm certain that the material has a glazing from all the harsh miles I put on the car. I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one - I was getting worried I was just breaking my car left and right at this point.

The lightweight flywheel, even though it's the 19lb steel Southbend, is AMAZING. The car revs so much quicker, and the car pulls better all around. I can't wait to get the CM sorted out, and finish my break in period. I wanna romp on the car so bad!

I'll also be taking it to the track again afterwards to get a trap speed and hopefully improve my ET. If you are interested. :driving:

Got my master cylinder yesterday, and I just finished tackling the removal and install. :D

Removing the master cylinder was a very easy task - suck out as much fluid from the resovoir as possible, then unbolt it, and remove it along with the hose. The master cylinder is held in place by two nuts in the driver footwell, and is connected to the clutch pedal by a wrist pin. It's pretty simple to remove, but be prepared to break your back and bend in ways you didn't know you could!

Since I learned you can't pressure bleed the clutch system, I did a flush through first by opening the bleeder screw, and running 2 small bottles of fluid through the system to get contaminants and the old fluid out. I then opened a fresh bottle of Valvoline fluid, and filled it up to the top, and then proceeded to do a two man brake method. My friend was unavailable today, so I had to make do by myself:

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...psac2133b1.jpg

The handle of a floor jack is such a magical tool. ^^ I just pushed the pedal to the floor, placed the handle there, and then moved the seat forward as much as possible to hold it there.

My method for the two person was to pump the pedal 5 times (otherwise, no pressure was built in the system), and then to place the handle there, go under the car, and then quickly open and close the bleeder screw. I repeated this about 6-8 times, and each time, the pedal came back stronger and stronger.

Galeforce and the others, you were right. The pedal feels STIFF. There is like, a 1/4 inch of slop now, as compared to my literal inch of slop. I'm about to go drive it to the store and stuff for a test drive. :driving:

Or you plan projects specifically so you have to buy a tool you don't have. My house makes me do this too often. Buy a tool for a project, put the project on the back burner for six months. :rofl2: