Alright, I need some help gents. I have a 2003 Nissan 350Z Track that I bought in October 2011. Recently, I've been experiencing difficulty putting the vehicle into 1st and Reverse when I'm at a complete stop. When it is in 1st gear from the stop and in motion, it's just as difficult to shift into 2nd. Then when I attempt to shift into 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th gear, I hear a metallic grinding/scraping noise that is not only discomforting, but embarrassing. It's been like this for about 3 weeks now and I'm getting the feeling that it won't be long until the car just craps out on me. I've been talking to several of my more knowledgable "gear head" friends and they've come to these conclusions:

1) Change the Transmission fluid as the fluid may not be viscous (thick) anymore,

2) Bleed the Slave Cylinder as it may have air, not allowing the clutch to completely engage/disengage for a smooth shift,

3) Check the shift linkage (I doubt that really has anything to do with it)

4) Replace the Synchronizers in the transmission

5) Rebuild/Replace the transmission

I'd rather not have to resort to option 4 or 5, so I am trying to get a good idea of what small tasks I can do to refrain from needing to come out of pocket so much. I don't want to overlook the little things that could possibly be causing this stiff shifting and God-awful noise. I hope this is enough for someone to help.

Thank you in advance.

 

While all of those are plausible suggestions, the 2003 has transmission problems. Instead of wasting money troubleshooting that list you will probably be better off replacing your transmission with a CD009.

 

Sounds good, but also pricey. Any suggestions on where to look for the new tranny?

So.. Dumb question, but what is the name of the OEM Transmission that they were manufactured with? Google has been crap with answers for me today.

And when I looked at the CD009 on ConceptZPerformance.com, it said it DOESN'T have soft sync rings. I'm assuming that is that what the issue was for the OEM?

 

Get a used trans, shouldn't be more than 600.

 

I think the name of the '03 transmission is PAPERWEIGHT
Yes, the syncros are at fault and, from what I have heard, even after replacing them the problem will still return. I have no experience with swapping transmissions personally but there are many threads on here you can read through. Good luck.

 

I was thinking used tranny as well, but I'm not sure where to buy one. Maybe I'm searching for it incorrectly on Google and eBay, lol. I'll keep looking.

Would this be an easy DIY job though?

 

Sounds like your clutch is slowly breaking off into pieces. Get it swapped quick before you're stuck!

 

look in the market place on this forum, there my be one in there