How to drive a manual Z smoothly?

tonybui

I bet you once had to learn how to drive stick. So AT for me is a NO. I have been driving AT all my life

DIGItonium

I actually tried and learned how to make smoother engagements in the 370Z. Of the 6 years of owning the 350Z, I never really figured out how to make smooth engagements especially with the 1st-2nd shift. It has been a pain with the clunky gearbox and inconsistent clutch action.

The Z tends to shudder when shifting from 1st to 2nd with low RPM, so it tends to be more happy beyond 2.5k RPM. Sharabivas hits the spot in regards to shift speed (when driving slow, shift slow or get the dreaded clunk; when driving faster with higher revs, you can shift faster).

I also notice the foot action of the clutch pedal seems to affects smoothness when letting out the clutch. My heel is on the floor when starting in 1st to make it easy to pivot my foot, and off the floor when pressing down the clutch pedal for other gears. When my heel is off the floor, I can use my whole leg to press down the clutch pedal. Then I can release and slowly pivot my foot away as I release the clutch pedal. Also, I notice engagements are smoother when pressing down the clutch pedal quicker than usual between shifts and casually releasing it.

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g96818

^^ put a few washers behind the clutch pedal so you dont have to use your whole leg to press the clutch. i threw some washers behind to occupy the extra clutch travel to about where it starts to grab, that way all i need to do is pivot my foot when shifting.

someone said this clutch is sensitive, not at all! my celica's ACT clutch was way more sensitive than this and it grabbed within an inch of lifting the peddle after being fully depressed.

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kevr6

I disagree!! All the german cars I've had have been more refined and easier to shift!
The "Friction Zone" on The Z requires that you hold the clutch a pinch longer then most cars! What your experiencing is driveline lash like you'd find with a pick up truck!
As stated throghout this thread, Practice makes Perfect! There are a number of refinement issues with our cars...like the seat quality, the rear road noise, lack of adaptive xenons (Mazdas have those), the fact that we still have a power steering pump vs mechanical steering, shifter vibration, harsh rear suspension, and driveline lash!!!
But when you look at the price then you understand why.

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Vegitto-kun

I always lol at people talking about MT like this.

I guess that has something to do with places like america being filled with AT.

pretty much everybody here drives MT so we drive MT from the beginning.

Is there a big difference between the MT of the 350 and 370 since I test drove one with MT and I found it quite smooth to ride

Forrest

first to second you cant let go of the clutch quickly. second to third, up to 6th you can quickly let off the clutch.

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Slynky

I'd have to say this is one of the worst driving MTs / clutches for me. Like any car I've ever driven or changed to, the clutch is always a bit different but by the time I had driven it enough to clutch 20-30 times, it all became mechanical (in the back of my mind) afterwards. But this car...ummm...been driving it a bit over a month and about 500 miles and still getting surprised by the clutch / shifting from time-to-time.

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Slynky

Just read your post and I'd say that's one of the same things I've noticed. Most cars I've driven, you can pretty much let the clutch out fast on the shift to 2nd (and giving gas). But not the Z. You still have to feather / tease it out. Mind you, I have a Nissan truck and it's not like this so it's not necessarily a Nissan problem.

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dbrs0821

This is gonna sound weird...but, I had the same exact problem when I got mine back in December. In fact, I think I posted something about it. Anyway, while it's certainly gotten better, I think the other thing that really helped me out was adjusting my seat to a different position, which changed where my feet were at. Silly as it sounds, it actually helped my shifting to be more fluid.

I moved the seat forward just a bit and raised the back of the seat so it's not quite as reclined. I now have no issues...I knew the whole time it was probably my "fault", but this just confirmed it for me.

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mick

well, kevr6. maybe this just applies to me
i could not drive smoothly the german cars that i have had the very first time I drove them but I could drive the 370z smoothly the very first time behind the wheel.

of course, maybe I am just a much better driver now than when I drove those german cars -- i probably could drive them all smoothly today

blackflag

Driving a stick properly is a skill. Some cars are harder than others...I actually find the German cars easier than most Japanese cars...But I love the clutch on the Z. It's right up my alley - feels perfect. I haven't had any clunks or anything.

I love manual trans.

Forrest

your exactly right i end up feather/tease it until it feels right.

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EP350Z

Yup i agree with mick on the german cars clutch!!!

tonybui

Shifting into 2nd gear, I feel like there is something stuck in there that I can't just pull straight down from 1st. Anyone experiences that?

IDZRVIT

Nope. But I have the Canadian model so it must be different.

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