savedbygrace

iTrader: (4)

Hey gang,

Cold weather is just setting in and a few days ago my clutch made a weird noise after I started the car up and put the pedal clutch down with car in neutral.....when I released the pedal back up the noise stopped. Kinda sounds like a cement mixer sound if you will....things rattling around in a cyclic fashion.

So...I did some googling and it seems this would be the "clutch release bearing"?

What I'm wondering is if anyone can give me an idea of:

a) how serious of an issue is this?

b) about how long can this issue go on before I have to have repairs made?


My research so far says that the labor to replace the clutch release bearing is pretty much the same as doing the whole clutch and flywheel, so I guess most people do it all at once if the mileage is close to 90k?

My mileage is 79k on an 04' base model that is just daily driven.

Thanks gang, truly appreciate any info and insight anyone can share with me...I'm thinking I have some time before this new noise is going to demand a bunch of money from me. Hoping I'm right.

Saved

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

a) The seriousness of the problem is directly related to how it impacts your driving. Your post didn't mention whether it became difficult to shift gears when you heard the rattling start. Once that happens, you'll need to repair the issue before it strands you on the road.

b) There's no way to accurately predict when the car becomes fully disabled, but you should know that your early Z has a hydrallic clutch release bearing located on the OUTSIDE of the tranny case. So if that's the problem, it can be repaired from underneath (without pulling the tranny).

savedbygrace

iTrader: (4)

Good input and thanks for the help.

Sorry about not mentioning the shifting...I thought of that earlier today as I was driving....the car shifts absolutely fine during driving, but sometimes going into reverse while parked it's a little notchy to get into the reverse gear... don't know if that's an entirely separate issue but that's the only shifting glitch I'm seeing so far.

Just as an FYI I replaced the transmission fluid about five months ago with Redline MT85, that fixed the reverse notchiness for awhile but recently it's coming back a little about once in five to ten times.

What kind of symptoms would occur if/when the bearing gets worse? Louder noises and going into gear will get tough?,...or is it more the clutch feel at the pedal gets worse and the engagement gets jerky? Just want to know what to look for so I know my diagnosis is right on as this thing gets worse.

Thanks for the heads up on the bearing being on the outside of the transmission...I'll be researching that more this week.

Love the Z, appreciate the help in keeping it healthy,

Saved

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

There could be several problems related to your drivetrain. If it's your clutch release bearing, you'll notice you can't fully disengage the clutch or reengage it once its in gear. In that case, a skilled DIYer might be able to replace this component themselves. The noise you're referring to could also be the throwout bearing on the driveshaft not functioning correctly. It could also be a problem with the clutch disc or pressure plate, but let's not get too far ahead.

Unless you're a skilled DIYer (and I'm guessing not, since you're posting on this board), you should start researching a local tranny shop or tech that you can trust such a job to. Make sure they are familiar with Nissan products. If the problem becomes more regular, they may be able to estimate the repair cost for you.

bjr

I have the same problem as savedbygrace and would like to know how you expect the release bearing to be pulled out and replaced without separating the tranny case from the engine. That would be a neat trick. The slave cylinder and the release arm are on the outside for '03-'05 but I've never seen a car with the bearing on the outside of the case. I would love to be proved wrong

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

Depends on what the problem really is- you're correct in stating the hydrallic clutch release bearing (slave) is mounted on the outside of the case. If that's the problem, it can be repaired without pulling the tranny. But if the problem is truly the throwout bearing, it's located on the input shaft and requires the tranny to be pulled.

bjr

Please stop calling the throwout arm and slave cylinder a bearing and using it all as one word. You keep saying the bearing is on the outside of the case and it is not. There is no bearing on the outside.
The master cylinder activates the slave cylinder (which is outside on a '03-'05).
The slave cylinder moves the throwout arm which reaches inside the case.
The arm pivots what is called either the throwout bearing or also called the clutch release bearing.

When you repeated what you said before you made it even worse. I think that in your mind you just like to call the whole assembly of the cylinder, the arm, and the bearing the "hydrallic clutch release bearing (slave)". Which is fine and close but technically a bit confusing. Oh well, you caught my attention and I made double sure me and the OP cannot fix our problem easily.

OP- from what you described it sounds like your clutch release bearing. Mine has been making the noise you described for over a year. As soon as ANYTHING changes (sound, actual physical symptoms) I'll have no choice but to fix it.

I had been worried about mine more recently and wondered how I could figure out if it was the release bearing or the pilot bushing, etc. Hopefully this tech paper is accurate because it is helpful...
http://www.skf.com/binary/57-61883/TT08_003.pdf

savedbygrace

iTrader: (4)

bjr,

Big thanks sincerely for taking the time to set the technicals straight....I wasn't following all the input until you cleared it up and knew something had to be miscommunicated (even thought the intentions were good).

Thanks for the input on yours making a small fuss for about a year as well...I kinda guessed that this is a "wait and pray" scenario and that's my plan as well...my clutch is absolutely great with no issues at all, with a mechanic commenting a few months back that my clutch was healthy and very strong as well....so....since this is the first winter on MT-85 (known for being a little chatty in the cold) I'm hoping that the cold, the MT-85, and the mileage are all contributing to it being a minor issue that will only be an issue during the winter, but in Arizona the winter is minor and gone soon....so hopefully it clears up and stays happy for a year or more.

The technical article won't load for me for some reason....I'll try again from another computer and take a look.

By the way...if you've never tried an RJM clutch bracket...get one...they make the clutch on the Z so so so much nicer in feel, easier on the clutch itself since the engagement window is doubled and the leverage is made more gentle, and shifting smooth is significantly easier as well.

Thanks again, and I'll share my updates if anything noteworthy is learned or happens,

Saved

myfirstzcar

It's probably a chunk of the bearing cage getting chewed up. The cage keeps the ***** evenly spaced and is usually the first to go before a ball bearing comes apart.

savedbygrace

iTrader: (4)

What makes you think it's part of the cage?

What's odd is that I haven't heard any sound for the last four days or so....it's normal again....???

Is that typical for a bearing going out or typical for a part of the cage being chewed on in there?

Glad it's seemingly ok for now versus getting noticeably worse..but I really want to understand this so I don't over-wait on getting this fixed.

Saved

myfirstzcar

I can't tell you if it's the cage or not, but I doubt it's a ball. The ***** in a ball bearing don't usually just come apart, they wear down.
All that wear is also acting on the cage that holds them together, which is why the cage usually fails first, causing the bearings to group together, which then leads to total bearing failure.
If you're sure the noise came from the release bearing, then I'm sure it's not a good sign.