Stiif clutch, weak legs. Advice please.
11-20-2012, 04:33 PM
#41
Oh, don't mean to mislead, it's not mandatory in the UK either...
Actually autocross is not quite what I meant...I'm trying to think of the best way to describe it. It's tuition/exams designed for the type of driving a police pursuit driver may have to do, rather than a racing driver (which is more autocross, if I understand it?). So it's stuff like where do you look for hazards, how to approach driving a road, etc. It's a lot more in-depth than a standard test or training. It's the nerdy side of advanced driving/riding compared to autocross and/or track days
I found this http://www.advanceddrivers.com/serv08.htm which seems to be a comparable organisation here.
Actually autocross is not quite what I meant...I'm trying to think of the best way to describe it. It's tuition/exams designed for the type of driving a police pursuit driver may have to do, rather than a racing driver (which is more autocross, if I understand it?). So it's stuff like where do you look for hazards, how to approach driving a road, etc. It's a lot more in-depth than a standard test or training. It's the nerdy side of advanced driving/riding compared to autocross and/or track days
I found this http://www.advanceddrivers.com/serv08.htm which seems to be a comparable organisation here.
11-20-2012, 05:53 PM
#44
If you are bothered by the clutch not disengaging until the clutch pedal is 3/4 of the way up you can adjust it.
If you look down at your clutch pedal, you will see that in the pedal's arm as I would like to call it, there is a bolt with a lock nut. The bolt is what pushes on the hydraulic part of your clutch. You can loosen that lock nut and turn the bolt out a tad bit so that your activation point is more mid pull. I used a pair of pliers on the bolt, it took a little while turning bit by bit, but in the end it was worth the 20 minutes.
Don't forget to tighten the lock nut either.
If you look down at your clutch pedal, you will see that in the pedal's arm as I would like to call it, there is a bolt with a lock nut. The bolt is what pushes on the hydraulic part of your clutch. You can loosen that lock nut and turn the bolt out a tad bit so that your activation point is more mid pull. I used a pair of pliers on the bolt, it took a little while turning bit by bit, but in the end it was worth the 20 minutes.
Don't forget to tighten the lock nut either.
11-21-2012, 05:41 AM
#45
If you are bothered by the clutch not disengaging until the clutch pedal is 3/4 of the way up you can adjust it.
If you look down at your clutch pedal, you will see that in the pedal's arm as I would like to call it, there is a bolt with a lock nut. The bolt is what pushes on the hydraulic part of your clutch. You can loosen that lock nut and turn the bolt out a tad bit so that your activation point is more mid pull. I used a pair of pliers on the bolt, it took a little while turning bit by bit, but in the end it was worth the 20 minutes.
Don't forget to tighten the lock nut either.
If you look down at your clutch pedal, you will see that in the pedal's arm as I would like to call it, there is a bolt with a lock nut. The bolt is what pushes on the hydraulic part of your clutch. You can loosen that lock nut and turn the bolt out a tad bit so that your activation point is more mid pull. I used a pair of pliers on the bolt, it took a little while turning bit by bit, but in the end it was worth the 20 minutes.
Don't forget to tighten the lock nut either.
Just FYI.
11-21-2012, 05:46 AM
#46
Don't adjust that very much from stock or you'll smoke your clutch and invite a whole host of clutch problems. The factory clutch assist spring has a snap over point right near the top of the stroke where it switches from assisting you in pushing the clutch to returning the pedal up. If you go too far with the adjustment mentioned above the assist spring will not switch modes and continuously ride your clutch until it starts slipping, kills your throw out bearing and eventually smokes the clutch.
Just FYI.
Just FYI.
11-21-2012, 10:27 AM
#47
Don't adjust that very much from stock or you'll smoke your clutch and invite a whole host of clutch problems. The factory clutch assist spring has a snap over point right near the top of the stroke where it switches from assisting you in pushing the clutch to returning the pedal up. If you go too far with the adjustment mentioned above the assist spring will not switch modes and continuously ride your clutch until it starts slipping, kills your throw out bearing and eventually smokes the clutch.
Just FYI.
Just FYI.
11-21-2012, 06:29 PM
#48
No problem. I just wanted to make sure no-one killed their clutches with this adjustement as I've seen far too often someone telling another to just go adjust the rod with no warning at all to the potential dangers and risk you take by doing so with the OEM pedal assembly. Back a few years ago when I first got my G35 I was reading some of the old threads about this adjustment and there seemed to be several guys here and also in the G35 forums who killed their factory clutches very rapidly after following this mod.
11-21-2012, 06:36 PM
#49
I've never really seen any issues with the OEM Nissan TOB's in my experiance. Typically you see them lasting 50K+ miles on stock vehicles no problem and tend to last atleast for the life of the clutch. Possibly you just got a dud Nissan bearing or maybe there's another underlying issue in your ACT clutch pressure plate or the clutch fork that caused the OEM bearing to go so quickly? Sorry I don't have a better answer for you.
11-21-2012, 06:58 PM
#50
It was/is a low level bearing wobble noise. I replaced the clutch because I replaced the oil consumer, the clutch was fine and had over 70% left when it came out.
Everything worked/works great and I am used to the noise (which is only audible when sitting without the radio on) so I am fine ignoring it. Just thought I'd ask.
Thanks
Everything worked/works great and I am used to the noise (which is only audible when sitting without the radio on) so I am fine ignoring it. Just thought I'd ask.
Thanks
11-24-2012, 03:37 AM
#51
Registered User
Thread Starter
hells yeah, took her for a spin around town today. Only stalled once and that was because I was being a jackass off the line. I also accidentally downshifted from 3rd to first, thinking it was 4th 
Engine made a big GFY sound, won't do that again. Besides that, all good. Still riding the clutch I think from first. I might be over cautious and releasing too slowly. I am getting much better though. Up shifting I get a little jerk about 50 percent of the time but with down shifting I always feel a huge drag. Tonight, I practiced stopping and going on a hill by my house, the car jerks when I go but didn't stall. Things are looking good.
Engine made a big GFY sound, won't do that again. Besides that, all good. Still riding the clutch I think from first. I might be over cautious and releasing too slowly. I am getting much better though. Up shifting I get a little jerk about 50 percent of the time but with down shifting I always feel a huge drag. Tonight, I practiced stopping and going on a hill by my house, the car jerks when I go but didn't stall. Things are looking good.
11-24-2012, 03:58 AM
#52
Registered User
Thread Starter
Don't adjust that very much from stock or you'll smoke your clutch and invite a whole host of clutch problems. The factory clutch assist spring has a snap over point right near the top of the stroke where it switches from assisting you in pushing the clutch to returning the pedal up. If you go too far with the adjustment mentioned above the assist spring will not switch modes and continuously ride your clutch until it starts slipping, kills your throw out bearing and eventually smokes the clutch.
Just FYI.
Just FYI.
11-24-2012, 05:36 AM
#55
Is there a reason why Nissan chose to put the engagement so far up? Why so much dead space between the engagement point and the floor? Just curious. I am eyeing your pedals. Since this is my first MT, I really have nothing to compare the 350z clutch to. I read your site. You state: "Altering the pedals fulcrum point widens the narrow factory engagement window". So this means that the point where it bites to where it is fully engaged takes up more return swing of the pedal thus making it less sensitive to twitchy legs or an inconsistent release speed?
Stock Pedal Stroke is like this:
Dead,Dead,Dead,Dead, FrictionPoint|Locked
With the RJM Replacement its more like:
Dead,FrictionPoint-Modulation Zone-Locked
This lowers the friction point, makes the pedal softer through increased leverage and makes the previously dead space become an active zone that you can modulate for greatly increased clutch control.
11-24-2012, 01:30 PM
#56
Registered User
Thread Starter
11-24-2012, 02:04 PM
#57
Registered User
Thread Starter
Yes, your understanding of how my replacement clutch pedal works is spot on. There is no reason for the Nissan clutch to have so much dead space and I find them to be extremely high in the engagement and very clunky compared to many other sports cars I've had the pleasure of driving. My pedal assembly alters the mechanical relationship and linkage geometry between the pedal lever and the master cylinder. With the redesigned pedal system the factory dual-mode spring is eliminated completely so you can Safely lower the friction point and also gain the other advantages of having the adjustable fulcrum point.
Stock Pedal Stroke is like this:
Dead,Dead,Dead,Dead, FrictionPoint|Locked
With the RJM Replacement its more like:
Dead,FrictionPoint-Modulation Zone-Locked
This lowers the friction point, makes the pedal softer through increased leverage and makes the previously dead space become an active zone that you can modulate for greatly increased clutch control.
Stock Pedal Stroke is like this:
Dead,Dead,Dead,Dead, FrictionPoint|Locked
With the RJM Replacement its more like:
Dead,FrictionPoint-Modulation Zone-Locked
This lowers the friction point, makes the pedal softer through increased leverage and makes the previously dead space become an active zone that you can modulate for greatly increased clutch control.
11-24-2012, 02:55 PM
#58
Registered User
Be very careful... One of the side effects of driving a Z is having unbalanced mucle in one leg. For example, my left leg looks like an elephant leg where as my right looks like a 4 month old babies arm.
