I recently just bought my 04 Z with 78k miles(now 81k). My clutch feels and drives fine but i was just curious because 2 of my friends have 350z's (1 with 50K other is 90k, new clutch)
My clutch is factory and when i push my pedal in it feels alot more stiff than their clutches. Their clutches feel like alot lighter than mine.

Does anyone know why mine feels heavier compared to theirs?
Would appreciate any help so i can solve this mystery...

 

That's just how they are, really stiff. I know when I got mine it felt like I was learning how to handle a clutch all over again. I stalled for a while when I was trying to figure it out.

 

But I'm saying mine is really stiff and theirs is light in a sense of just pushing the pedal in even when the engine is off.
we all OEM 350z clutch's.... why is that when we all have the same one?

 

Doesn't matter if the engine is running, or not. Various year Z's have different hydraulics, though, so that may account for some of the differences, as well as friction in the system (at the pedal pivot, for example), strength of the pressure plate, etc. I've got 3 Alfa Spiders, and all their clutches feel slightly different, even though all the parts are basically the same in all 3 cars. Only 1 Z in the garage, though, and it's the only one I've ever driven.

 

What year is theirs? I had an 03 Touring and that clutch was a beast. when i upgraded to an 06 it was lighter. The 06s and beyond seem to have lighter clutch action. I have noticed then on several Zs

 

We all have 2004 350z's. One of them was new and the other had 50k on it but they still felt the same. My pedal is more stiff and the clutch is older but i thought clutch's get more soft over the years.

 

another thing to note is that as your clutch goes out ( OEM) it actually becomes harder and harder to puch down, requiring more effort.
I usually get a sore spot on the ball of my foot when that begins to happen.

You may be in need of a new clutch.

"Need" is a subjective term in this case until there is a mechanical problem.

 

So the answer to my question is that my clutch is more stiff because it is worn and is going out and eventually it will start slipping and I'm going to need a new one.

 

I had an 03 Z and the clutch was pretty stiff, I've driven some of my friend's 03's and they're about the same, I noticed that my friends that had more mileage, I pressed in about the same but the clutch wasn't engaging until way higher, mine would engage pretty high but def not like theirs. I'm sure your fine, that's just how the clutch is, hard, as long as you engage fine with no slippage then it's normal...

 

I've owned many cars (Italian, English, German, Japanese) in the last 38 years, all with manual gearboxes, and have to say I've never experienced that symptom. YMMV, I guess.

 

IS what it is, each car may differ, dunno.. but the older mine got the stiffer it was.
Swapped toa new clutch, fairly soft again.
I think the engagement point cahnges slightly and that may affect the hydraulic system perhaps, but nissan clutch systems are thier own animal.. and they usually are pretty horrible in my experience.

 

I'll give you that. Nissan's clutch setup, especially the hydraulics, isn't like others I've seen. Mine is an '08, and I know the hydraulics will eventually fail, based on the experiences of many others.

 

Maybe someone has removed the "helper spring"...this changes to force required to hold the pedal down.

 

It's me Ron...the Fumoto guy

I have 08...yes clutch effort is noticeable..but I like it. Engagement is *right now* and I still stall it every now and then when taking off from a stop.
Our models have a CSC..no fork/slave set up. The early model 07s had a problem with them (recall)...I have 54K mi on my 08 with zero issues. Grabs and holds great. Also, the pressure plate is designed to *self adjust* with wear, so clamping force *should*stay constant with wear. I don't expect hydraulic problems either.
The 08s..for the most part..have been relatively trouble free.

 

My clutch also stiff as hell.. i use the arch of my foot now to press it in so its not so bad anymore

 

How many miles do you have on that clutch and how many years old is that clutch and how many years old is the car?

 

All depends on the clutch that's in the car, Age and state of wear it has on it. As the early ones (de) wear they do get stiffer.

 

Also lubrication of all the contact points. The older the car the more it has been used therefore the grease gets worn down.

They also could have fresh fluid. With old fluid or air in the line the clutch won't be as crisp. 03-06 are exactly the same systems but the 06 is newer so the clutch pedal assembly and such isn't as worn and probably still has more lubrication. The 07 HR is when they switched to the concentric slave cylinder so the pedal feel is different.

 

How would I know if my helper spring has been removed? It really seems like that could be a possibility with the way mine feels.

 

There were several revisions of clutch feel in 350Z's......

03-04 had the stiffest clutch

04.5-06 had softer clutch than 03

07-09 they changed the entire mechanisms and had the easiest clutch to use.

Maybe you have the 04 and your friends have the 04.5?