Okay, before I get flammed, here is what I found doing a search on this subject:

https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-drivetrain/188736-how-hard-is-it-to-install-your-own-clutch.html
https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-drivetrain/184719-clutch-change-question.html
https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-drivetrain/173999-need-help-tryed-to-bleed-the-clutch.html


So out of the 208(+) post that I read in regards to clutches, all I got was the above for installation. Now I know there has to be more than one of two of you that has tackled this job in your driveway. I know it can be done on 4 jackstands (hell yes I wish I had a lift). In fact, I have changed clutches on Muncies (cake walk) and on my 99 Camaro Z28 in the driveway.

I have spent some time up under my car and dropping the tranny looks pretty straight forward to me.

So what I am wanting to know, is there any gotchas that I should be aware of? Any advice from those of you that have personally changed the clutches on these cars? I am surprised that no one has done a write up on this yet...maybe I can be the first!!!

Does anyone happen to have the torque specs for (06 Model):
-Flywheel to crankshaft
-Clutch Pressure Plate to Flywheel
-Transmission housing to motor
(I think those are the major ones...if there are others that you can reacall, please let me know).

Thanks for the input,
Joe

 

Bump for a good question

 

Do a write up.

 

and to add to the OP, is it a really bad idea or overly risky to do your own clutch replacement? i'm currently living in fear of paying 800 in labor when i have to replace mine

 

I found the same thing. I was thinking that I would do a write up when I do it. But have at it, Brutha. Don't forget to take pics. make sure you have a tranny jack around.

 

have at it man and don't miss any steps on your write-up.


Oh, and do it soon. I am going to need it in a few months.

 

It's a five hour job by the book, and that is with a lift. You should not pay more than ~500 in labor tops. Save some money for new Trans fluid flush and replace since you have it out anyway.

Just got my done (sorry, I do not tackle pulling a tranny this big under jackstands), 5 hours at $90 by XX Tuning, including flywheel replacement (JWT Aluminum), JWT Clutch.

Check out the old/new pics of the parts:
http://homepage.mac.com/stracy01/G35...oAlbum112.html

 

It just sucks paying roughly the same price as the clutch itself for install.

Why does it take so damn long...?

 

XX Tuning has a nice shop in CT in the Hartford area, highly recommend them despite the number of people who think they only do Subies...not true.

Oops - forgot to tell the whole bill - about $1370 with JWT clutch/FW and labor, plus trans flush and new Motul syn fluid.

My Clutch Kit and FW - that is all labor and Motul syn fluid...the parts were ~800 shipped from:
Performance Motorsports
http://www.theexperience.com/

Good price, well packed and great service - thanks guys!

Not an inexpensive adventure considering not replacing the flywheel and resurfacing the old only would have dropped the price $400 plus add back the resurface costs. Then again, I remember putting $800 into my old Alty '95 for a clutch at 90k miles...w/o flywheel replacement.

Inifiniti/Nissan wanted $280 for same OEM kit, $1100 if they had to replace flywheel (yes in my case), plus at least $600 labor - just over $2k! That's for a clutch used all over the place in their line, absolutely nothing I would ever put in a Z or G again, never.

 

It beats the hell out of paying someone $300 to replace rotors and pads! That one continues to blow my mind, my SAAB friend just paid $350 for OEM pads, resurfaced rotors, front only! How RUDE is that?

Ask a Professional Mechanic, I'd love to hear their answer - but based on having done this once ever on any car - I am guessing even with a lift and a friend I would need most of a day to do this - w/o a lift, Having to pull a transmission laying down with minimal clearance? NO THANKS!

1. detach driveline, pedal linkage, shifter boot, etc...
2. Drop tranny after getting anything else out of the way
3. Dive into multiple layers with a sh*tload of bolts to remove the pile of bolts and parts is impressive. Include all the bearings, it is no small amount of work.
4. remove and rsurface or replace flywheel, press in new bearing(s)...
5. put all the rest of this crap back in with just right torque specs on every bolt and nut (not all the same by any means, and you do not want less than perfect here), it's like making a really complex sandwich.

Now granted this is oversimplifying - but go count how many bolts are required just to remove the bell housing bolts. Forget the clutch work and just think how long it would take if you had your car on the lift and "just" had to install the transmission, adjust clutch pedal (self-adjusting ONLY after it is set up correctly), reattach driveline, fill fluids. Pedal, test drive, checks again post drive. If you are lucky you are not alone which now means 2X the people for about an hour.

So now add the clutch work, figure one guy for 2-3 hours, 2x for one hour or so, and it's not hard to figure out how you get up to five book hours pretty quickly, and remember book hours don't assume the best and most experience, it's an avg of sorts...

I did a clutch replacement with my brother on a sh*tbox 1972 Vega GT with jackstands and 2x4s for trans supports, and while RWD and much smaller tranny, I would never want to repeat that experience again on ANY car. I guess it may be worth it if you have two people who can work well together in very confined quarters...but we were ready to throw down before the job was done

Besides, just think, if go to a dealer and and need a new $1100 flywheel, labor can be HALF the parts! WHO would do that??? I can see why they sell a lot of Auto trans these days...

Anyone on these forums who does this for a living shed some light on it?

 

I hear you... I did not think about disconnecting pedal linkages but that makes sense.

 

Please...I refuse to pay someone for what I am perfectly capable of doing myself...plus, I know the work will be done right. This transmission is much smaller than a Tremec T56 so it will be no problem dropping it with the car on jack stands...and yes, I have a tranny jack.

Steve Z...Great Info! Thank you so much.

Joe

 

I ain't Scared!

 

Thanks Joe and I'm sure it sounds like no problem for you, and like you said, you know it was done right. I waited two weeks to take mine to a tuner shop I trust because I refused to have the dealer touch it - they didn't even know Nismo let alone JWT, no f-way!

I wish I had the time and a tranny jack to do it, biggest issue I had was time - lack of. It does hurt to pay someone to do it when I'd rather do it myself. The ultimate insult recently was having to pay a dealer to do brake work because I was just working too many hours and it had to be done, thankfully I net more per hour than I paid them, or I'd really be pissed!

Don't know if I mentioned it on this thread but recommend you take a look at replacing clutch slave and the line at the same time. $28.95 for the part, mine failed right after new clutch (seals blown, fluid all over the driveway, not cool). You really wanna get pissed, go pay someone else to do the work and then 2 days later have the car sitting unable to move for the lack of a $28 part!

I don't think I have been that pissed since my wife left her door open, drove out of the garage and knocked the corner off the foundation, not to mention the damage to her beloved minivan...LOL today, but for one day I had to go to some other mental place while I jacked my garage corner back on the foundation and pushed it into place with a Jeep CJ-5 v8.

 

This was for the JWT flywheel only, also came in the box. Downloaded it from JWT.

hth
Steve

flywheel_torque_specs_JWT

 

I installed a clutch in my car. for the most part it is fairly straight forward. As far as doing it on jack stands. NO WAY.

As far as paying 800 bucks for a clutch install, that is a complete rip off. a reputable shop should be able to handle the job in less than 4 hrs. I know of a shop that quoted me 280 bucks for the install. For around 300 bucks, I wouldn't do it myself.

just an FYI, I had a local Z owner use my lift to install a clutch. I did nothing more than watch. With a team of 4 guys, it took them 10 hrs, and I still needed to help them troubleshoot at the end of the day. My clutch install took about 2-2.5 hrs with the help of one person.

 

I'm with you on the jack stands, not for me.

$450 was "book" hrs @90/hr. $800 was cost for complete JWT Clutch Kit and new Flywheel. Job took one guy 3 hrs with help for maybe 1 hr in a professional shop. Billed all 5 hrs, even though I dropped car off at 10:00 AM and it was done by ~2:00 PM, go figure. Maybe they don't eat

I may have said $800 before, what I meant was $400 for the JWT clutch kit (OEM was ~270 quoted to me), $400 labor. I think we're just talking rates - in my area $90-100/hr is pretty standard. I am guessing 5 is a little high, BUT that includes flywheel replacement OR removal/reinstallation for refinishing.

Here's my link for my puked clutch slave - have you seen problems with these? Mine has 3 years, 30k miles, showed some slow pedal return in summer, but it blew all the fluid past the seals the other morning 2nd with new clutch in.

You sound like the voice of experience here, I have a new slave on order, any extra advice before I install it specific to this transmission/clutch?

Thanks! I will put some better pics when I do the work, didn't have the car up this time.

Death of a Clutch Slave Cylinder

 

Another doc re:adjustment specs, torque settings, bleeding, and clutch height(s) for JWT - not stock, which may be close but guessing not.

SteveZ

JWT G35/350z Clutch Adjustmetn Spec Sheet