Just a heads up guys, the stock pressure plate REALLY blows.

I lost mine (almost completely) at the drag strip last night and am upgrading to a JWT flywheel/clutch combo. The factory service manual states that the slave cylinder needs to be replaced at the same time so $775 shipped from Kyle@IPP (for the clutch kit) and $75 got the slave cylinder and tube (only found one source through my mechanic). $400 install - roughly $1250 total cost.

Don't want to see anyone else losing their clutch on the track and not being prepared to pay for it.

Side note - when I was looking for a clutch I found something saying the stock clutch was rated for 300 lb/ft of torque (dunno if thats correct or not) but thats pretty weak given the car makes 275ish stock....

 

im surprised about that... 300lbs of tq seems really low.

i need to find a new slave cylinder, im think im doin exactly what u doin
thanks for the info

 

How did you blow it? Under a hard launch? That sucks because I just got my slave cylinder fixed and passed on the opportunity to get a JWT clutch/fly to save on labor. I'm really curious now as to what the stock clutch is rated at though... 300lbs sounds awfully low. Did you get the recall done?

 

Yeah.

Last night was hot so take that into account (80 degrees), but I ran two great runs 13.376 and 13.405 back to back and on the return road from the last one I noticed it slipping. Let it cool off, tried another run and aborted at about 45 feet because it was so bad.

Slave cylinder was replaced around 2k miles ago, just before 12 thousand miles (I think).

I know it was had to do with the drag racing, but the shop I'm having put the jwt kit in told me they see it all the time on the older ones from HDPE's and such just from downshifting. I figured enough of us are hard on our cars and after searching found I wasn't the only one seeing EXTREMELY premature clutch failures, so I thought I'd throw a heads up.

FWIW I lost the pressure plate in my E36 328i at 135k, owned it from 110k, and had well over 200 passes in it. The clutch disc was still fine, so I definitely know how to drive a stick - its just drag racing was hard on a weak part of the Z (clutch system altogether).

 

ouch. what's labor like to install the jwt clutch/fly combo?

 

says about 400 up top. Peak let us know how the JWT clutch and Flywheel combo match up with the new slave cylinder. Looks like your the first person who will be able to give us track performance of that combo. Good luck man!

 

The throw out brg which contacts the pressure plate is no different than the earlier pivot assy brg. clearance should also not be a factor.

Input to correct me if Im wrong

 

Yeh i believe they fit at this point I am more curious about how well the aftermarket setup will match with our redesigned slave cylinders performance wise. I'm hoping that the rumor that they cant handle the pressure isnt true. I guess time will tell.

 

Its an old design ---how well it is mated abuse wise to the Z I don't know ----They are a pita to bleed as a rule, but thats irrelevant

 

Mazda and Chevy have done it for years so its not something I've overly concerned about.

I've always wished the pressure plate had more clamping force....I just proved why.

I dunno when I'll make it back to the track I move in about 4 weeks and will be 90 miles from any track, and about 2 hours from the track I've been going to, so it won't be as tempting as my 20 minute drive (that I have now)

Ordered the clutch this morning from Kyle@IPP $775 shipped is a steal, can't believe they were selling that cheap.

Found a slave for $53, still looking for a tube...whatever the F that is.

Labor is $425+ tax, but the shop is on the high end side...guy races 3 different earlier gen Z's and knows the 350Z inside out. I got quoted $300 at another shop who hasn't ever installed a clutch in ANY Z, so I decided $125 for an issue free install from a shop telling me "you want the JWT clutch & flywheel its definitely the way to go" was worth it.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the tube bolts to the Trans case and surrounds the input shaft. That tube is what your TO rides on. It wears and in time gets grooves which make for a poor sliding surface. Now this is a fact, but whether they are referring to that, I don't know

 

The tube I am thinking of (could be mistaken) is actually a hydraulic line. But I'm not too sure, its one of the parts that got replaced with my slave cylinder recall, and it says in the service manual to replace the slave and CSC tube with every pull of the transmission.

 

Also -----Having installed well over a 100 clutches over the yrs. They are all the same more or less. Iv done all from D9 Cats to Harley Davidson's. What separates the men from the boys is the knowledge of clutch operation and little tricks like polishing things and lubing certain points etc etc. The smaller the clutch the more important little things are

 

There is a tube that carries the fluid of course but also a tube to extent the bleeder so it is accessible on the exterior of the bell housing since NOW your slave is internally located.

 

The early models had an inline orifice restictor that was eliminated mid 04 or so--They may have tried that stunt again. The restictor slows sudden release that loads the drive train and makes for a smoother engagement ------This is a bad thing, not a good thing

Not that they removed it but that it was there to begin with

 

Yup, thats the tube, forgot the bleeder was on it but remember seeing that now.

They have one still, but its mounted to the front of the driverside firewall, you access it through the wheel well.

Haven't removed mine yet, but will when I flush to motul (not gonna bother until the clutch is good and broken in).