2nd Z first manual. HELP!!!
 

Hey all.

So as title says this is my second 370z. I love my first one so much (2013 sport touring Midnight Blue white interior 7AT) that when I started shopping around nothing felt like I wanted it to feel.

Started shopping for Nismo Z.

Sight unseen due to covid I bought a 2017 white manual Nismo Z.

Never driven manual before and never smelled clutch either.

Well tonight I drove a manual and smelled clutch for my first time :driving:

I’m not exactly scared of it brothers but I am really intimidated by it.

Any tips for a newbie manual Nismo Z.

RS

Clutches don't like being babied (released really slowly). Don't be afraid to get more aggressive with the clutch.

Find some open space without people to hit and just practice starting from a stop to learn the "unique" feel our clutches have.

Installed a Z-Speed Stage 1, with Cmak on my neighbors stock Nismo (13’ model) and she said it drives better than when it was new, also said easier to press clutch pedal :tup:

It will take you time and plenty of practice driving the 6MT in your Z seeing that the clutch is very sensitive. Every vehicle has it’s different point of contact and you will have to find where that contact point is. Learning the relationship between the clutch pedal and accelerator pedal. Once you find how to properly smoothly engage the clutch from 1st to 2nd it will become easier. Definitely DO NOT ride your clutch, force shifts, or miss shifts. These clutches I found don’t like slow shifting. The normal or aggressive engagement of the clutch is the best way to use the clutch. Adjusting your seat position to a spot that is comfortable for you will help you. The goal is to make a smooth transition when shifting feathering the clutch pedal out and pressing your accelerator pedal. You say you smell burnt clutch after driving your Z how many miles is on your clutch? Install the Z Speed Performance CMAK before your Genuine Nissan CSC fails and leaves you stranded somewhere. It is only a matter of time before it fails. The question is when? After you learn to properly drive your Z then consider upgrading your clutch and flywheel in the future. Also the RJM Performance clutch pedal is something that will help you out placing where you would like your clutch to grab in the position you like and very much improve the engagement of your clutch pedal and is well worth it.

You can't learn how to operate a manual transmission by reading a book (or forum posts). You can get a vague idea of what's going on but there is no substitute for hands-on experience. Find someone who knows how to drive a stick and get them to ride along and give you tips.

As pointed out above, if you're smelling the clutch, you're doing something wrong - probably engaging the clutch too slowly.

All my cars have been manual. When I got my first 370Z (new 2017), I felt like I had never driven a manual before. I absoutely hated the clutch feel. The release point was so high and the stiff helper spring made it horrible to drive. I installed the RJM clutch pedal and it feels perfect. I couldn't imagine trying to learn with the stock pedal.

good luck, but in time it will feel natural
just a note, I bought a 76 Chevy Monza with a 262 V8, my first car with a clutch. Had to call my dad for a jump, because I drained the battery on the way home from the dealership. Just learning how to start the car

Thanks for the encouragement all.

I’ve had two replies telling me not to baby the clutch. That’s what I’ve been doing hahaha.

Also all of my problems come from take off only I find that once I’m going it’s much more forgiving.

The takeoff is hella rough though and most of the times I’ll stall.

RS

Honestly the clutch is plenty stout to baby it. But you have to do it without throttle. If you baby the clutch while reving up past 1500 rpms you're just burning it up :twocents:

Good practice in the parking lot is to simply let off the clutch slow enough to engage 1st gear without touching the gas pedal (no throttle). This will help improve leg muscle memory, let you practice your clutch feathering, and help you learn the weird OEM clutch engagement. As you add throttle your clutch release should speed up, so you need to find the balance for your driving style. You'll find the Z is very particular and wants to be shifted differently when you drive it hard and fast vs soft and slow. Pay attention to the feedback from the car and you'll eventually find where the smooth shift point is and how to modulate the clutch engagement for each gear at various speeds. It will take patience and a lot of practice.

As others have said. Highly recommend the RJM clutch pedal. And if you haven't already done it, replace the OEM CSC with a ZSpeed CMAK or HDCSC asap.

get the rjm clutch pedal....it's insanely easy to drive

if i were you , just run the stock csc and then when it fails just replace everything at the same time....but for sure pick up a rjm, worked wonders. stock clutch pedal is hard to modulate in the beginning because of how the spring is set up

Learn to drive the stock set-up before putting money down on aftermarket.

Do not recommend! Unless you don't mind getting stranded somewhere when it fails :ugh:

I'm probably a broken record when I get into this topic, but I'm more than certain going aftermarket with the flywheel and clutch helps. Doesn't change that the action is a bit....weird. But it's a step in understanding what kind of weird.

And it's so weird, it has become normal. It's to the point that when I drive another car, it feels like a video game or something. Like things just happen and it's almost like "why?" — why doesn't it jerk or anything when relatively speaking it feels like I'm dumping a clutch in other cars and getting away with it.

Deliberated the RJM Pedal, but I kinda figure there's some charm in driving something not many people can pick up on.

When you are out practicing your take off just be sure to give the clutch a rest
here and there. taking off over and over for a loooong period of time creates a lot of heat. Just be sure to drive the car long enough between sessions to let things cool off. If you "smell clutch" its to hot.

Have fun with your new to you car!

Why buy aftermarket when you don't know how to drive stock. :icon14: That's just a waste of money. Because you will burn up aftermarket just as fast.

I've driven everything from "3 on the tree" to 18 speed split shift with a 2 speed rear. You have to learn to adapt to the vehicle.