I have a 2008 Nissan 350z and I have recently replaced (back in November 2024):

• Z1 V1 to V2 CSC Elimination Kit Upgrade
• Jim Wolf Technology JWT Clutch / Flywheel Combo, VQ35HR VQ37VHR - Nissan 350Z 370Z / Infiniti G35 G37 Q40 Q60 (L3507-NCHRO-KTB)
• OEM 350Z Clutch Master Cylinder
• OEM VQ35HR / VQ37VHR / VR30/38 Rear Main (Crankshaft) Seal

I get the car back from the shop and it isn't engaging reverse (R). It's going in but it pops out soon as I left off the clutch, it's like the car will move a little but will pop out of gear.

I have adjusted my shift plate (it was most definitely off), re-bled the master and slave cylinder, went from 1st→R, 2nd→R, 3rd→R, and so on to see if it would engage and nothing, and have the car off and start in R and nothing it just pops out.

Here is a video of what it's currently doing:
Also, my reverse lights do turn on so I'm guessing it's engaging? But it's popping out which is baffling to me.

 

This one has me a bit stumped. It's like something with the shifter linkage is off. Seeing as you can easily shift into 1st through 6th, your clutch system must be working correctly. This problem appears to be internal to the transmission or the shifter linkage itself.

Just to clarify, you can drive without issue in 1st through 6th and reverse was working without issue prior to taking it to the shop?
If YES to both questions, then either your shift plate is still way out of adjustment or the shop "money shifted" your Z or something (broke your reverse gear).

At least that's my take on it.
Good Luck!
-Icer

 

Hey man, thanks for the reply.

Yeah I was thinking that it was the shift linkage, I didn't change that out and it's the original linkage. But looking at it online from Z1, I was trying to look at the picture and see what on it can actually be wrong with it? It doesn't look adjustable, literally looks like a rod. Here's a link with a picture on it. https://www.z1motorsports.com/trans-...od-p-6611.html

It's butter going in all 6 gears, I can drive and even did a couple of pulls in it with no issues at all, down shifting too, butter. It was working when I dropped it off to them. I took a picture of my mileage before dropping it off and got it back, they only drove like 2 miles max. They can't speed or even jump on the highway cause the shop is too far for that and the mileage would've been most noticable.

Here's a picture of my shifter plate when I got it back. You can clearly see it it wasn't aligned right.



Here's a picture of it after I made adjustments



When I got my car back and drove it back home, going into 5th gear felt weird as hell. It was almost like I had to move the shifter over to 3rd gear to go into 5th gear. That's how I knew my shifter plate was off.

I haven't changed out the shift linkage, been on the car since factory. So I can try and do that and see what happens before dropping the transmission again.

 

Double check your shift plate adjustment again to be safe. I assume you're following the FSM procedure where you shift between 5th and reverse?



Unfortunately, the majority of the shifter linkage/assembly lives inside the transmission and finding/fixing the problem may not be possible without professional help. There should be detent ***** and springs to hold the the gear position in place, I suspect something might have broken internally to cause this symptom. But I'm hoping this might still be a shifter plate adjustment issue. If you're not getting fully into reverse because of the stopper, then the detent spring could be forcing it back out. (NOTE: The FSM screencaps I'm posting are from a 2006 350Z and the trans assemblies might be slightly different).




Good Luck!
-Icer

 

Yeah I actually have a 07 service manual and I went by the directions there when adjusting my plate. I've done it at least 3 times with a friend and nothing. I did noticed when we had it up in the air and put it in R, when my friend let off the clutch the rear wheel spinned and then popped out of gear. I thought that was weird. I will check it again when I have some time.

When you mention the detent ***** and springs, are you saying inside the transmission or the actual gear shifter? Cause I was also thinking that the shifter ball socket and shifter spring could be the problem? My shifter doesn't feel loose at all though, just a thought.

Today when I got off work this morning, I park my car in a spot where it'll roll forward. I turn the car off, put it in R, and pull my e-brake up. So I wanted to see if the car would roll forward with it in R and not pop out. I ease up off the e-brake a little til I had it fully down, the car didn't roll forward so that meant it's in R. I turn the car on and ease up off the clutch, it popped out. I tried it again with the car off and this time when I was easing off the e-brake it popped out of R when the car started moving on his own weight. I tried it for the 3rd time and it didn't move, didn't pop out of R.

I don't know man, this is just weird to me that I upgrade my clutch and my R isn't staying engaged. The shop that did the work is trying to tell me to get a new transmission or rebuild the R synchro. My thing with the synchro is, wouldn't it grind it GOING into gear? My R doesn't grind at all, all my gears don't grind. All the manual cars I've owned has never had a synchro problem.

I was also reading this thread and this what made me think about the shift linkage. But reading it, it didn't seem like he dropped the tranny? Or at least he didn't mention it. https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-...-t-engage.html

 

Try it with the bolts loosened
Install a short shifter and see if it's the problem. I run a $45 one off ebay.

Side note. My 2010 S4 would pop out of 5th gear after I kept the 195k mile OEM clutch slipping for about 10 seconds and I have no idea either because the clutch still holds

 

You talking about loosen the shift plate bolts? We took the plate off and tried shifting it in R and it popped out.

How would a short shifter fix it? Just curious.

Here's 3 pictures of it in 5th, 6th, and R.




I found a Reddit post with someone with the same issue I'm having. I tried contacting him on Facebook and IG, no response. Here's his post: https://www.reddit.com/user/Embarras...6u5tm4/update/

 

I mean the detent *****/springs inside the transmission.

Only other thing I can think of is to check the linkage bolt from the shift stick to the transmission. It's hiding behind a rubber boot under the shifter assembly (accessed from under the car).

The shop would have disconnected this during the clutch job, so perhaps something they did wrong there? Bolt could be loose? Another poster on here said theirs fell out or nearly fell out while driving.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Yeah I thought that as well when I was trying to bleed the system with my GF in the car pumping the clutch. I grabbed the shifter assembly from the bottom and literally was wiggling it around to see if the bolt was loose. Then I tried to loosen it by hand to confirm if it's loose, it's tight. Then I started thinking to myself that the bolt would've been fell out by this time since it's been like 3 months of me driving it like this and the reason why I say that is my rubber boot is ripped. I'm pretty sure the shop did that. Would it be a problem if it's overtighten?

 

I don't believe you can overtighten the shifter fork linkage bolt. If my memory serves, there's a collar or sleeve to prevent binding of the components when tightened up.

So that really only leaves an internal transmission issue. Items 1 - 4, and 26 on the parts diagram I posted show the two sets of check *****/interlock for the shifter assembly.

Very odd problem, but listening to your video, it does sound like reverse is making some synchro noises. The timing of the problem is just very strange.
Good Luck!
-Icer

 

Yeah it's very odd to me as well. I always thought bad synchros would make that grinding noise when going into gear.

I did try this as well, when I put it in R and let it pop out (I'm still holding down the clutch), I tried putting it back into R and then it'll make a grinding noise, well not so much as a noise but I can actually feel the gears spinning on the shifter. I only did it for like a split second.

Another thing I did, same concept, is I put it in R and hold it down with some force (to prevent it from popping out), let off the clutch and it gives me the same symptoms as I can feel the gears on the shifter. Again, I only did it for a split second.

Crazy to me cause I have been buying mad parts for my Z for the past few months and just haven't had time to install them. But now that I do and want to give the Z some attention I get this issue with my R. 😂

I just put some new wheels and tires on it like 3 days ago too. I plan on getting it repainted to the OEM color, install my coilovers (I'm on springs at the moment), do my exhaust gaskets, etc I got a whole to-do list.

 

Yeah, that's a real bummer! But that's how project cars can be at times.

Note: One last thing I JUST thought about, have you checked the fluid level in the gearbox? It's not uncommon to drain the fluid before removing the trans for a clutch job, this is because it can come pouring out the tail-shaft during removal and installation (Funny side story, this happened to me and a buddy when we did a clutch job on his 1988 RX7, the short of it is we ended up swimming on our backs in MT fluid while holding up his transmission...I told him we should have drained it 1st!). Back to my theory/point...this would be insane if this is the case, BUT, what if the shop who did the work drained the fluid and never refilled the trans!? Before condemning the trans, I would jack it up and check the fluid level. The fill plug is easy to access and shouldn't be hard to remove. If you can stick a finger in there and hit fresh fluid, then you should be good. If no fluid can be felt or seen, then maybe that's your problem.

Moving on... (And assuming the trans is toast)...
It looks like you plan to keep this car for the long-term with all the parts invested. If I presume correctly, then purchase a new trans and have that peace of mind. Sure you could try and save some cash with a used unit, but there's always the chance a used trans will have other problems and you will lose more cash on the parts + labor.

Your Z actually looks pretty darn good even with the faded/missing clearcoat. It's going to look really nice when repainted. Are those RPF1s? . I dig the S2K antenna.

Cheers!
-Icer

 

Naw I haven't checked the transmission fluid. My mechanic told me that they changed it when they had my car, but that could be an area to look at. It would be insane if that's the problem, trans fluid is low and won't let me engage reverse. Smh.

Yeah I been looking and seen new transmissions for about $2,500. I know trying to rebuild it would cost more than just getting a new one with a warranty. But the whole purpose of this thread was to find out the problem before I dump that kinda of cash when it could've been just something simple, ya' know? I really appreciate your input cause I've made posts on Reddit and on Facebook and didn't get much help.

Yeah I like the new look of it, looks more like a race car. I went from 8.5 F and 9.5 R on 245/35/19 - 275/35/19 to 9.5 F and 10.5 R on 255/40/18 - 275/40/18. Literally the same size, just a tad taller but wider setup. I always wanted to downgrade to 18's, I'd rather have more tire than wheel. What's crazy is once I got the wheels and tires on I instantly noticed that the steering wheel felt a lot lighter. No, they're not RPF1's, I wish they were. I actually was looking for a set of RPF1RS but everything is on back order and I got tired of searching/waiting so I went with MST Sukuza since they had a pretty decent offset for me. I might add a 15mm spacer for the front (+25) and rear (+22) to bring it to 10 and 7. I got some 15mm spacers in my garage that I gotta clean up and test fit it. I know I'm going to have to roll the fenders for sure with that aggressive offset.

The antenna is actually from a 2000-2006 Acura MDX, I found it in a junkyard one day and just thought that it would fit and sure nuff it did.

But yeah man.. I love the Z, I've had it for quite some time and every time I drive it someone is either trying to race me (they hear that trumpet coming down the road lol) or asking me to sell it. Just this weekend, me and my GF went out to Dave and Buster's for her birthday and this young guy on the highway pulled out his phone and was recording me driving, so I put on a little show and did a couple of pulls (even though I got cussed out by my GF lol). I've had that done to me a few times, I smile every time cause that lets me know that somebody likes it.

 

Sweet, I guess Honda used that antenna design across a lot of their platforms. I cross-checked the S2K P/N when I purchased mine and it also showed up for use on the Honda Element. It makes sense that it would also be used on some Acura's as well (RDX and MDX). Much cleaner look and far more sturdy than the original whip antenna 350Zs came with.

When the shop did the fluid replacement, did they give details in the work order on what type of fluid they used? The most recommended fluid for a daily driver is Redline MT85, for heavily tracked Zs, many use Motul MT90.

When it comes to wheels and tires, I think 18" truly is the sweet spot for handing/performance on a 350Z. My LMGT4s are 8.5" +25 in the Front and 9.5" +30 in the rear, basically the recommended fitment by Nismo for the 350Z. Your front tires are a bit wider and yes, you might have potential rubbing issues. But I would recommend staying away from rolling the fenders. There's plenty of wheel experts on here that could give some recommendations. I'm no expert myself, I think 275 in the rear is plenty of tire for an NA Z33.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Yeah the OEM antenna for the Z made it look like a R/C car to me.

He told me he changed the fluid and I asked him did he use Nissan OEM fluid and he said yes. I trust him because he's the only guy that has ever touched my car, been going to him for years but it was mainly just for simple things like tires and alignment, nothing major cause I did everything else on my own. But now that you're mentioning it - it has me thinking if he really did use the correct fluid and/or have it filled up. I have the receipt and it doesn't even mention anything about transmission fluid changed.

It's not rubbing at all in the front. It's extremely smooth with the steering, I guess cause I went from those heavy *** 19's to lighter 18's wheels made that difference.

Last night I did a run with a Challenger R/T, it was fun opening up that throttle and hearing that trumpet! But what's funny is the R/T was ahead of me and I was hawking him down. We ran up to like 145mph and got up next to his car, passenger side, and then let off cause I knew at that point I was gonna pass him.

 

Seeing as you can easily shift into 1st through 6th, your clutch system must be working correctly. This problem appears to be internal to the transmission or the shifter linkage itself.

 

If the stock shifter is maxing out the throw it might be a band-aid fix for the issue