Do an oil change on the trans and stop doing whatever is making it grind.

The other day I let a friend of mine drive my Z around the block, with me in it of course.....just got it out for the spring. I know my trans is good, and I never have grinding issues, but with him at the wheel it was grinding into 6th. I realized he was literally muscling the thing into gear and probably not using the clutch properly either. Needless to say, he didn't drive it very far!

 

Thank you so much for your input on that. Well Unfortunately, I'm the 3rd owner of this vehicle and it is a 03 model so I'm sure the Nissan factory warranty's long gone now.. But yes just to specify the *issue* in a little more detail, I will say that the only gear that I actually grind in (not all the time.. usually when I'm only power shifting and downshifting FROM 6th) is the 5th gear. When I'm cruising on the road, I never grind. The vehicle shifts very smoothly and I have no issue with that. However it's usually when I'm in 6th gear and trying to downshift to 5th and that's when I grind (on 5th). And for obvious reasons I actually stopped downshifting from 6th to 5th.. other gears are fine.. I have no issues or even a bit of noises whatsoever with other gears.

The way I see it I probably won't be able to get my tranny replaced by Nissan since the factory warranty's been long expired.. however I will definitely look into the issues of grinding the gears as you recommended.

Thank you for your input once again. Appreciate for your help!

 

^^ You are correct… You are way beyond the factory warranty.

The replacement 350z transmission is much better than the original.

--Spike

 

Try a fluid change.

 

Which fluids exactly? Any recommendations for specific brand?

 

Redline MT85 is a synthetic gearbox lube engineered with enough friction to allow syncos to work properly.

 

Change your transmission fluid. Only use OEM Nissan MTF (pricy, but worth it.) There have been many discussions about this topic over the years and the consensus is that Nissan MTF is the ONLY MTF that doesn't give you grief. Readline, Amsoil, Royal Purple etc. will all make you grind. You can go with Amsoil or Redline in your differential, which you might as well change at the same time as your MTF. There are how-tos on this website covering fluid changes that are easy to follow. If you aren't comfortable with DIY, then take it to a dealership. You really don't want to skimp on the type of fluid you use on the Z. It's a finnicky car.