![]() |
Clutch pedal feel
I recently traded in my 2013 7AT base for a 2014 6MT nismo and have been struggling with getting smooth first gear starts due to how the clutch pedal feels when slowly engaging the clutch. When the clutch is fully pressed down and I start releasing it's smooth for about the first half of the travel then suddenly when it hits approximately the "bite" point there's suddenly quite a bit of force from the pedal trying to spring up and it pushes my foot causing me to release the clutch much faster than I should (I've probably stalled the car half a dozen times so far in the very little driving I've done since I've owned it). When I bought the car from the dealer I was informed that an aftermarket clutch was put on (supposedly) and was curious if my clutch pedal engagement is normal for 370z or not?
Also, I glanced at the helper spring and it's yellow, not sure if this is oem or not. tl;dr: non-linear clutch pedal movement, is this normal? |
|
I wouldn't know about aftermarket clutches since I don't have one, but when I had the OEM helper spring in, there was some force against my foot around the engagement point. Try holding the clutch at the bite for a few seconds while giving 1200-1500 rpm to get moving smoothly.
I'd suggest removing the helper spring to see if it feels the same. Yellow is stock. If you like the way it feels without it, order the $20 one found on ebay these days. Don't feel bad about the stalling either lol, this was my first manual car as well and the ride home was a mess. After 7 months I still have my rough starts, but it's fluid 95% of the time. |
I've been driving for most of 40 years, after learning on a VW Beetle. Stock clutch on my Nismo, and I've managed to stall mine a few times, and had even more instances of jerky starts. At first I thought it was just me, but I'm not that clumsy, lol. It gets better with practice. Don't give up.
Kirk B. |
Yeah the stock clutch is horrible. Buy yourself the RJM adjustable clutch pedal now before you start pulling your hair.
|
Do yourself a favor and get the RJM clutch pedal assembly. Ive had other manual cars and the 370z clutch pedal feel is unacceptable for a sports car, I too stalled randomly because of the vague feeling you get from the stock one. The RJM clutch pedal transforms the way the car feels with its shorter throw and adjustability for engagement. I now feel connected to the car like it should have from the factory, nothing but easy and buttery smooth shifts with the RJM pedal.
|
I find my clutch engagement in my '16 Nismo smooth and progressive with no issues. I don't know if it was improved in my car but it sounds like to me that your problem may be related to the aftermarket clutch that was supposedly put in. But regardless, practice makes perfect. I know that some aftermarket performance clutches will have harder engagement than stock so that may be what you're experiencing.
|
As suggested, get the RJM pedal..it just works. The spring he puts in the pedal assembly is a godsend..so smooth, linear, and predictable.
|
I have a RJM V2 for sale cheap pm me if you want it.
|
|
I don't have any issues with the clutch on my 2010. Everything feels ok and good for me. I learn to drive stick on a 1961 Ford F-100 that had 3 on the tree.
|
I find it strange the Z has such a progressive clutch engagement, but not the G37. Do both of these cars use the same spring? I haven't actually checked, but i have noticed between the two cars, the G's bite point is bit more linear and easier in that regard.
I think for me, its not actually the pedal itself, but the angle of my leg on the two cars. With the G, i had a bit more of a bend at the knee at full compression. With the Z my leg was straight (primarily because i can't put the seat and steering wheel where i like) when fully compressed and it made my leg tense up aggressively when it got to the bite point. It made it mentally weird trying to modulate gas and clutch pressure. After a while i just trusted that the bite point was at X point and i gave gas. This wasn't always smooth though. Is anyone else experiencing this sensation? This was in a 2011 nismo and a 2014 nismo compared to a 2013 G37s. |
it's all about the driver IMO.
my 17 nismo feels great.... only thing still getting used to is the 1st gear into 2nd gear can be a bit tricky to get through smoothly. cheers:twocents: |
Quote:
|
I hadn't driven a stick in about 10 years but have been lucky to not stall it out yet (knock on wood). I've discovered the OEM clutch engages best at a very low RPM around 700-800 but of course you run the risk of stalling it with any wrong move.
|
No! OP is right. There is a slight boing to the pedal at a certain point. The only way that it would be deemed "all about the driver" is not being able to adapt to it. Practice makes perfect, keep working with it and soon will feel like second nature.
|
Been debating the RJM on and off after break-in of my aftermarket flywheel/clutch setup has the engagement height near stock again. Only difference is that it's not as vague-feeling, but it's still a small window.
But at the same time, there's the arbitrary pleasure of knowing not many people know how to drive my car right. I'm also wondering if the CMAK or Z1 delete setup changes up the feel. |
As others have said, go RJM pedal. Easier to drive and will most likely give you a lot longer life out of your CSC.
|
:iagree::driving:
|
care to explain in detail how the rjm pedal would provide longer life of the csc?
Quote:
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
And just in case your OEM pedal SHEARS off, don't bother calling Nissan for help. Ask me how I know.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Quote:
Home My personal testimonial. I put the RJM pedal on my Z approx 2 months after I got it, not because I couldn't drive the Z, but thanks to this forum, I was concerned about the CSC. Over 5 years and 22,000 miles, yes it's low miles, but I live in downtown Honolulu and daily drive my car in the city, in the 2nd worst city for traffic in the US. My 22k miles equals probably at least 50k plus miles for clutch depressions for most other people. I've also asked twice on this forum, for anyone who's installed a RJM pedal have a CSC failure and have received 0 response to both request. Will it totally prevent a CSC failure, probably not depending on when you put the RJM pedal in, but I placed a $240 insurance bet by purchasing and installing it when my car was new and I'd do it all over again if I bought another. Oh yes, I recommend that you both do it too. :tiphat: |
Quote:
Quote:
|
:iagree:
Also I did the same plus I change my fluid before it gets dark, new insulated line to keep the heat out. cheep insurances. Quote:
|
Another vote for RJM clutch pedal assembly :tup:
|
Another vote here to, one of the first mods I did was the RJM clutch and couldn't be any happier, it changed the way I drove the Z.
|
Thank you everyone for your replies. I've ordered the rjm clutch pedal and will give it a try when it arrives, hopefully it's not too much of a pain in the *** to install. Not too sure why I can't figure out the Z's clutch, as I've driven other manual cars and never had this much trouble, hopefully the rjm clutch pedal will help with that.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
If you're going to do it yourself, find a short stool, platform, bench etc, that is about the same height as the Z's door and place it right outside of the car. This will give your back/body an extended platform to lie on. Once I figured this out, the installation became easier. Good luck and I'm sure you'll find the RJM pedal an improvement. |
Well, I'm sold. I'll be doing this next I guess. Thanks guys.
|
installation is a lot easier if you remove the driver's seat.
|
The newest pedal version is much easier to install than the older versions. I recommend just buying a new one from Ryan :twocents:
And just to be clear, I actually have an older version for sale, but I still recommend you buy the new version for ease of installation and adjustment. |
For me when I got my Z I had been driving manuals for 10 years or so and still stalled it many times at first. The OEM clutch feel is not really that good, too soft and it's hard to tell where it starts to engage. Your having issues because you feel it starts to engage about half way, but unless your car is an exception to the norm the engagement point is about 80-90% of the way depressed. It just takes a little getting used to and getting the right amount of gas/clutch and then you won't have any issues any more. I don't think getting a different pedal or anything will help till you figure out the stock one.
|
Quote:
The only area I preferred the stock clutch was stopped on a hill. Because of the more gradual take up of the RJM pedal, you need to release the clutch to a little past the initial contact point and feather the gas better to not have the car roll back a little, or apply too much gas, then you have that burning the clutch feeling. With the stock pedal, because of it's short engagement window. You'd just release it to the very initial contact point and the car just held on the hill, with no roll back, then apply gas gradually. Having said that previous paragraph, I'd take the RJM pedal any day of the week versus stock, hills or no hills. |
Quote:
|
:iagree:
|
Keep debating on whether to get the RJ unit. You can always adjust the engagement point while your thinking about it. Check this post out back when I did mine. Made it a livable but it's still not great. Why they had to get fancy with the assembly is beyond me. The old simple linkages on cars made 40 years ago feel much better to me.
http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivet...ml#post2024536 |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:12 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2