Moderate leak of clutch fluid. Recently installed CMAK CSC delete and RJM Gen2 CMC

ToonaFish

Hey guys, I took my car in to the dealer for an oil change. They reported a completely dry clutch fluid reservoir. The clutch pedal was still working fine the whole time. I decided to go to the shop that installed my CMAK CSC delete kit and RJM Gen2 HD CMC. The mechanic topped off the fluid, which was fortunate since the dealer offered to bleed the system for you know how much

After the mechanic took a look around, he said that the Gen2 HD CMC was leaking from the clutch pedal side. I saw oil on the seal around the push rod. I was surprised it did not look too oily given that the clutch reservoir went dry in 2 months (~1500 miles). Who knows how far down into the hose the oil level went? Yikes. For the last 5 days, the fluid level went down from Max to half way between Max and Min.

The mechanic also mentioned having worked on another 370, whose owner eventually went back to stock CMC after installing the HD CMC 2 times.

My questions would be:
1) What to do from here? Install another Gen2 HD CMC and hope it is perfect? Go back to stock by reinstalling the one I have sitting at home?
2) What is your experience/knowledge of the new Gen2 HD CMC, if you have one or have heard from anyone who is running it?
3) Could the issue be something else, like the CMAK kit, improper install, or whatever else? The mechanic has been working on and tuning nearly all JDM cars imaginable, so I don't doubt his talent.
4) Is the engagement point of the clutch pedal supposed to be high, like starting from 2/3 of the way up and ending at almost the top (4/5)?

I am seriously bummed out since the reason for buying these 2 products is to drive worry free. Although I have more off days due to long work days, I still would prefer not to have to spend more to fix this issue, rent a car, or be without my beloved car for a couple days. I need to save that money for grad school, dang it!

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Interesting. I just spoke with Ryan at RJM earlier this week to discuss a "rubbery-like" squeak that I traced to the Gen 2 HD CMC. The noise would appear at the upper-end of the clutch pedal travel every time the pedal was pushed and released. Ryan suggested that I apply some Super Lube synthetic grease in and around the opening where the clutch rod enters the cylinder. He suspects that the upper seal simply needs some lubrication. I'm yet to try it. However, as part of our e-mail exchange Ryan mentioned that he has had no complaints/failures to date with the Gen 2 version of the CMC. He may respond to your post since he occasionally posts on the forum ... or you could send him an e-mail explaining the problem. He is usually very quick to respond and always helpful. Moreover, he stands behind his products. Also, you might want to check to ensure that the clutch rod is aligned correctly. It needs to push straight in and out. If it's angled too much, it can damage the seals, and cause the CMC to fail. Finally, I noticed that the engagement point was high after I installed the Gen 2 CMC along with the Version 3 RJM clutch pedal assembly. I lowered it through a combination of adjusting the length of the clutch rod as well as the AFP setting according to Ryan's instructions. This helped. Again, it was necessary to align the clutch rod properly after each adjustment. Trust this helps. Keep us posted as to what you discover. My advice: Contact Ryan and discuss the issue with him.

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Also, forgot to mention that I also have the Z Speed CMAK unit installed. Like you, I was looking for a "worry-free" solution.

ToonaFish

Hi there, thank you for all these valuable suggestions and information.

I have not noticed any squeaking noise during clutch pedal movement. The only few differences I feel with this setup are higher engagement, longer engagement range, slightly softer pedal feel, and more resistance to push at the bottom 10th of the pedal. Otherwise, nothing of the feel is out of the ordinary for me.

It's great to hear that he has never heard of any problems with this product. This makes me wonder if installation was a little off along the way. After all, the 370Z does have strange parts that are set up differently from other cars. Therefore, I really can't figure out where it went wrong yet, because the mechanic does basic car work, race prep, tuning, and parts fabrication, which means he is pretty good at working on cars. His pricing is very competitive and the guy seems honest so far. However I do have faith that RJM's HD CMC is a quality product with high success rate.

As for the clutch rod, I believe it moves straight when I looked down there, while pushing the clutch with my hand. The pedal is stock and the HD CMC seems very similar to the stock CMC in terms of shape and placement, so I assume nothing has changed position-wise. I do not have the AFP clutch pedal.

Yes, I have already emailed Ryan Saturday night / Sunday morning so I can expect to hear back by Monday or Tuesday.