How does your OEM clutch feel?

pokeyl

2.5 turns, and if you have free travel on both sides of the clutch (up and down) you will not have any problems. My clutch is perfect now, just like the my old Audi tt, before it was like my Dodge 2500 V10, sucked having to move my whole leg to clutch. NEXT I'll look at the top stop bolt to see if I can lower the pedal hight.

Jessobear

I'm confused. Turning in the clevis should lower the pedal, since the rod connecting it to the floor. You should probably check the clutch interlock switch after making this adjustment. With the pedal depressed, the clearance between the threaded end and the rubber stopper is 0.1 to 1.0 mm. You'll need a set of feeler gauges to check that.

Jeffblue

Arnold, hows the shifting going?

pokeyl

It did not lower it and it all works perfect???? I just know I like it!!!!----

DocMaggot

When I last had to lower my Z's clutch I was working on a 2003 350Z. That was 2 Z's ago, but the 370Z I bought today is going to need the same treatment. The salesman I asked about the clutch today said that they used to be adjustable, but nowadays the Z's have hydraulic clutches, which can no longer be lowered.

We shall see! But I was digging around in my browser bookmarks and found this thread: it was the one in an Infiniti forum but it walked me through the clutch job 7 years ago and I reckon I'm going to go back and study it and the photos all over again.

It's a keeper:
http://www.freshalloy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73620

Jessobear

Believe me, the old clutch was hydraulic as well. Cars haven't come with cable clutches since at least the early 90's. Having a hydraulic clutch does not mean that the pedal isn't adjustable. Having the pedal lower on a hydraulic clutch simply means that pressing the pedal moves less fluid, which means that the pin which pushes the clutch release fork moves less. If you went too far with that, you'd reach a point where you aren't completely disengaging the clutch.

Chances are that what pokeyl did lowered the clutch, but not enough to be noticeable. This is basic geometry. You're talking about moving the attachment point probably 2.5 mm (assuming the thread pitch is 1 mm), which might move the actual pedal about 5-6 mm. This may not be enough to notice the pedal being lower by setting your foot on it, but would be enough to notice a significant difference in feel through the pedal when operating the clutch.

DocMaggot

"The 370Z is giving me some trouble, but I'm very slowly getting the hang of it. My biggest complaint seems to be that it engages way too high...."- Arnold K

I am entirely in agreement with you: you can't shift properly with your knee up in the air. For one thing it's darned awkward and uncomfortable. But even more important is the ergonomics of hip flexion.

It is much easier for a driver to make small incremental changes in hip flexion starting with the hip at 90º (a low clutch) than it is to do so at 100 or 110º (a high clutch).

But ergonomics aside- there's no reason, and no EXCUSE, for a clutch to bring your knee up uncomfortably high. If I can't get Nissan to do mine (and I'm trying!) I'm gonna fix it myself. I've done it before (in 2004) ...and it was no joy to do- but it did the trick

nuts4nissan09

This is not my first manual transmission. I drove a '92 Mustang GT w/ the 5 spd, '95 Z28 w/ the 6 spd and some Toyota 4wd trucks. This is the only manual that I have had a tough time leaving the line without chatter. I either have to leave slowly and short shift to 2nd or get aggressive and rev it to 2nd - doesn't seem to be an in between. Must be the dual mass flywheel. I do like that way it hooks when I get on it. Seems like everyone is standing still and I'm 300 ft. down the road . I have tried driving w/out SRM and have found it easier to leave with it off. I always tend to turn it back on within a few miles though.

turbodog

Just adjusted mine, and took a brief test drive. Absolutely a 100% improvement. The cruise control switch still works, but is at the absolute edge. The switch gap is slightly larger than the 1mm max. I will adjust it tomorrow.

pokeyl

did you loosen the 2 master cylender bolts? it makes it so easy to ajust

turbodog

Yup, that was a good tip, thanks!. The whole operation took maybe 15 minutes.

DocMaggot

I've driven nothing but z's for 30 years, leasing for 3 years then a new Enthusiast coupe 6-spd.
In '07 and '04 I found that the clutch engagement point was way too high and too abrupt.
In both cars I had to adjust the clutch height using step-by-step instructions I got off various enthusiast fora. It was not an easy job, but it was a big improvement.

This month I was less than shocked to find the same problem is clearly present on my new 370Z Coupe (Touring options).
Once the weather warms so my hands aren't too stiff, I will again endeavor to crawl upside down beneath the dash, facing forward and down, feet up in the air, headlight squished against the floor, and again perform this unpleasant cramped but now-familiar adjustment.

Others may counsel patience, but my experience has been otherwise: it doesn't tend to improve on its own, so it becomes a question of how skilled you are at accepting it so.

I love to drive my Z's. Hard. And I simply refuse to accept that I must shift with my knee
up in the air.

Wait and see how you feel about in in 2-3 months... the first go at DIY adjustment can be awkward- it was a little rough for me!

mick

either they built my car perfectly or i am a fantastic driver because my clutch feels fine

VQinside

I've driven nothing but manuals for 12 years with 6 different cars and the Z's clutch is the worst I've ever driven. It took me like a week to get the feel but I still do some not-so-smooth shifts from 1st to 2nd.

turbodog

In addition to the high engagement point, the return spring is insanely non-linear. If you do the adjustment, while the push-rod is disconnected from the pedal, you will see what I mean. The rube-goldberg linkage drastically changes the pedal spring tension.... right about at the engagement point (prior to the adjustment).