Hey. I just recently purchased an used 2003 350z. The car test drove perfectly fine, but the next morning it grinds when I shift from 2nd into 3rd gear. The only way to avoid the grind is to press the clutch, wait a second and then slowly shifting into 3rd gear. All other gears have no issue. The guy I brought it from did mention that he had a new clutch put in. I know most people say this is a syncro issue, but if it was, it should grind regardless if I shift slowly or not, no? I've even read that using a transmission fluid such as redline may help.

I've read on a honda forum that they adjusted the clutch pedal and it took care of the grinding. Will this help? I've read a lot of postings and it seems that majority of people just opted for the transmission replacement, but I want to avoid the cost of doing it if it's not a tranny issue and there's another solution. PLEASE HELP!! THANKS!!

 

Its the tranny problem

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welcome- first off, the Honda forums won't help much as their FWD transverse gearboxes are quite different than the one in your Z. Get used to it. The grinding you are experiencing happens first thing in the morning when the gearbox lubricants are cold. Syncros work better as the lubrication allows different gear sets to match speeds. I recommend using Redline MT85 in our gearboxes as its synthetic base matches the viscosity requirements recommended by Nissan. More importantly, it's got enough friction to allow the syncros to work the way they're supposed to.

Finally, learn to heel-toe downshift properly and rev-match on the downshifts. Your Nissan gearbox will thank you.

 

You 3rd gear syncros are going out...its a VERY common issue with the 1st gen gearboxes, was replaced by the dealer under warranty back in the day (mine included, and just about every single person I know who owned an 03 back in the day). So don't feel bad.

Run it for as long as you can but my crystal ball says you will need a new trans sooner than later.

 

Thanks dkmura. Unfortunately, the grind happens even after the car is fully warmed up. Regarding your comment about learning to heel-toe downshift properly, I've drove the same 03 350z for over 5 years before and never had this issue, so I may not be perfectly downshifting, but if I didn't have the issue before wouldn't you say I was doing it properly?

 

Gosh. So I guess it's gonna have to be a tranny replacement... Now i just need to find someone who's willing to meet my budget. Think anyone can swap it for $300? I can get a used tranny from my friend who owned a 03 350z with only 45k miles on it (he crashed his). Since this is a common issue with the 03, then is there any point to use his tranny? His tranny had low miles..

 

Actually, wear on the syncros may have accelerated when rev-matching is not done properly. Since I've never seen you downshift over the past five years, I can't really say. But the fact this issue has come up recently doesn't exonerate the previous owner, either.

 

First off, try the MT85 replacement. It's easy, relatively cheap and has helped synco problems in other cases. Second, find out what version gearbox your buddy is selling. If it's a CD001, it may not be worth buying.

As for pricing labor for swapping a gearbox, I doubt $300 will do much unless you put in some significant sweat equity.

 

I'll def try the MT85. Regarding the CD001 tranny, isn't it the same for all 2003's? Is there anyway I can check if it's a CD001 if my friend is unsure?

 

Depending on whether Nissan replaced the tranny under warranty, an '03 Z might have a later version gearbox. As for visual identification, here's a link:

https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-...t-sticker.html