What's wrong with the 6MT?

spearfish25 · 08-28-2009, 08:49 AM

Most reviews rave about the 6MT and how it's perfectly matched to the 3.7 VQ engine. I think the author of that review mixed up whichever transmission or car model he was mentioning, confusing it for the 370Z 6MT.

!xoible · 08-28-2009, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DropTopGal

Could anyone who has experience with the S2000 and now drives a 370Z, please compare the clutch / shifter feel, between the two?

I learned to track with the S2000 and it was by far the best manual that I have ever driven....> light / easy to press clutch with mid level uptake and no chatter, while the shifter was silky smooth, not notchy or requiring any muscling to get it into the next gear.

IMO nothing really compares to the S2k 6MT. that thing is just butter smooth. The Z's clutch will feel a lot heavier (still not as heavy as other cars, i hear mustangs brought up). It's a bit notchy, tricky to get certain shifts to smooth out like 1st-2nd.

but it also depends what you are comparing it to. if you compare it to previous version 350z/G35 you will find it very smooth and nice to drive. if you compare it to the s2k then you just gotta learn to adjust. in that car higher revs are your friend.

Compare it to the GT2 clutch, oh you will love the Z's clutch lol

i am not trying to give you a bad impression on the transmission/clutch, it just has a different more sportier character than the s2k imo. having said that, i prefer the heavier ol' tranny of 350z/g35

xfrgtr · 08-28-2009, 09:03 AM

Edmunds.com

havasuwiley · 08-28-2009, 11:09 AM

either trans is a good choice,edmonds mt car was probally a magazine test mule,they beat the hell out of them!! if a clutch blows its usually because they do lots of 5k-6k drops to get 0-60 times & 1/4 mile times,normal car drivers usually don't abuse their cars like that. my

Modshack · 08-28-2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WooZ

Quote from Edmunds "Although Nissan's six-speed manual gearbox has proven a bit troublesome in the 370Z and the Infiniti G35/G37, in proper working order, it's a nice piece for the roadster. We like the highly mechanical feel of moving the shifter in its linkage and the heavy clutch, because they suit the personality of the Z-car, which isn't a delicate thing."

They are Girly Men.....

theDreamer · 08-28-2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Modshack

They are Pansy Prancing Girly Men.....

Fixed that for you.

Blown32 · 08-28-2009, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Modshack

They are Girly Men.....

I have to agree with you 100%! Who ever drove the new Z for Edmonds.com and felt the trans or clutch was a problem is a wimp and should be layed off immediately! lol! Bad report on there part.

6MT · 08-28-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WooZ

Quote from Edmunds "Although Nissan's six-speed manual gearbox has proven a bit troublesome in the 370Z and the Infiniti G35/G37, in proper working order, it's a nice piece for the roadster. We like the highly mechanical feel of moving the shifter in its linkage and the heavy clutch, because they suit the personality of the Z-car, which isn't a delicate thing."

Ok, I know the article was for the roadster, but since I'm still deciding between a 7AT vs. 6MT coupe and since the transmission I'm sure is the same in both cars, can someone tell me:

1. So what is so troublesome with the 6MT- Difficult to drive smooth? Haven't really heard about any mechanical issues with it though.

2. Is the clutch really that heavy?

I believe it's one of the smoothest manual gearboxes I have ever driven. Coming from a 2008 Accord 3.5L, the Nissan gearbox is amazing. The Honda's was good, but tempermental. It took me a couple of months to feel comfortable and to get the shifts anywhere close to being smooth. The Nissan gearbox was very smooth right from the start. I love it. The clutch has a great feel, the shifts are almost effortless. (But, I have missed a few shifts from second to fifth instead of third

on hard accelerations.)

Not sure what the reviewer is talking about... maybe not a manual gearbox kind of driver (?)

Lug · 08-28-2009, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple's

What the hells that mean Heavy Clutch, they suit the personality of the Z-car. Are they saying manual drivers are cavemen or what?

Dude, please.

Shunya · 08-28-2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lug

Dude, please.

pulpz · 08-28-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !xoible

IMO nothing really compares to the S2k 6MT. that thing is just butter smooth. The Z's clutch will feel a lot heavier (still not as heavy as other cars, i hear mustangs brought up). It's a bit notchy, tricky to get certain shifts to smooth out like 1st-2nd.

but it also depends what you are comparing it to. if you compare it to previous version 350z/G35 you will find it very smooth and nice to drive. if you compare it to the s2k then you just gotta learn to adjust. in that car higher revs are your friend.

Compare it to the GT2 clutch, oh you will love the Z's clutch lol

i am not trying to give you a bad impression on the transmission/clutch, it just has a different more sportier character than the s2k imo. having said that, i prefer the heavier ol' tranny of 350z/g35

Agreed. Honda makes incredibly smooth shifting gear box. one of the reasons why i got my TSX. But the clutch is really light. Not my preference, but does have its advantage for everyday commuting in heavy stop and go traffic.

The 350Z/370Z clutch pedal has a "heavier" feel than most. This was a complaint on the 350Z (check the forums you'll find many threads a and a few how-to's to adjust). And could be deterrent to someone who would prefer to have a manual shift for a daily commuter.

One thing i don't like about the 350/370 Z is the feel of the accelerator pedal. I think its too light. Makes for a mismatched feel between the mechanical resistance of the clutch and accelerator pedal. I think this is why some people have a hard time adjusting to the driving style of the Z and/or feeling comfortable with it at first drive.

I test drove an '09 cayman. The mechanical resistance/feel of the Cayman clutch and accelerator are very comparable and give a balanced feel.

Personally, i liked the feel of the 350 Z clutch. And when i test drove a 370Z was surprised that Nissan retained the heavier clutch considering the complaints.

The 370Z gear box is much improved over the 350Z, has a more exact feel. Not as good as a cayman, but definitely in the ballpark.

pulpz · 08-28-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !xoible

IMO nothing really compares to the S2k 6MT. that thing is just butter smooth. The Z's clutch will feel a lot heavier (still not as heavy as other cars, i hear mustangs brought up). It's a bit notchy, tricky to get certain shifts to smooth out like 1st-2nd.

but it also depends what you are comparing it to. if you compare it to previous version 350z/G35 you will find it very smooth and nice to drive. if you compare it to the s2k then you just gotta learn to adjust. in that car higher revs are your friend.

Compare it to the GT2 clutch, oh you will love the Z's clutch lol

i am not trying to give you a bad impression on the transmission/clutch, it just has a different more sportier character than the s2k imo. having said that, i prefer the heavier ol' tranny of 350z/g35

Agreed. Honda makes incredibly smooth shifting gear box. one of the reasons why i got my TSX. But the clutch is really light. Not my preference, but does have its advantage for everyday commuting in heavy stop and go traffic.

The 350Z/370Z clutch pedal has a "heavier" feel than most. This was a complaint on the 350Z (check the forums you'll find many threads a and a few how-to's to adjust). And could be deterrent to someone who would prefer to have a manual shift for a daily commuter.

One thing i don't like about the 350/370 Z is the feel of the accelerator pedal. I think its too light. Makes for a mismatched feel between the mechanical resistance of the clutch and accelerator pedal. I think this is why some people have a hard time adjusting to the driving style of the Z and/or feeling comfortable with it at first drive.

I test drove an '09 cayman. The mechanical resistance/feel of the Cayman clutch and accelerator are very comparable and give a balanced feel.

Personally, i liked the feel of the 350 Z clutch. And when i test drove a 370Z was surprised that Nissan retained the heavier clutch considering the complaints.

The 370Z gear box is much improved over the 350Z, has a more exact feel. Not as good as a cayman, but definitely in the ballpark.

Red370 · 08-28-2009, 02:26 PM

i dunno about the clutch, but the flywheel is a bit on the heavy side. I noticed this immediately, if you dont match revs +/- 200 rpms, the shifts are a bit jerky. Ive adjusted, but I couldnt drive smoothly for a week after I bought it.

The tranny is loud, and there is alot of gear whine, shifter is a bit on the clunky side as well, but this should be expected.

Trips · 08-28-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Modshack

They are Girly Men.....

wstar · 08-28-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pulpz

One thing i don't like about the 350/370 Z is the feel of the accelerator pedal. I think its too light. Makes for a mismatched feel between the mechanical resistance of the clutch and accelerator pedal. I think this is why some people have a hard time adjusting to the driving style of the Z and/or feeling comfortable with it at first drive.

Agreed on the accelerator. It's drive-by-wire, so obviously it's just an electric actuator rather than a cabled-up traditional accel pedal. But still, they could have put some effort into engineering the thing to feel more traditional. As it is now, it's so light that it makes it hard to make fine adjustmnents at times.

On the same topic, the other thing I dislike about our accelerator pedal is that it's too "digital". If you play with it in neutral at a stop, you'll notice it's not at all smooth like a real pedal. Mechanically it feels smooth, but in terms of its effect on the engine, it adjusts in little notchy steps.

In effect it's like having a 32-way throttle switch (I don't know exactly how many settings there are, 32 is a random-ish guess). You get these 32 throttle settings and that's it, nothing in-between.

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08-28-2009, 08:49 AM	#16 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	Most reviews rave about the 6MT and how it's perfectly matched to the 3.7 VQ engine. I think the author of that review mixed up whichever transmission or car model he was mentioning, confusing it for the 370Z 6MT.

08-28-2009, 09:03 AM	#18 (permalink)
xfrgtr Base Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: miami,fl Posts: 171 Drives: 09' 370z nismo Rep Power: 16	Edmunds.com

08-28-2009, 11:09 AM	#19 (permalink)
havasuwiley Base Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: lake havasu city az Posts: 131 Drives: 09 370z, 03 z06 etc Rep Power: 16	either trans is a good choice,edmonds mt car was probally a magazine test mule,they beat the hell out of them!! if a clutch blows its usually because they do lots of 5k-6k drops to get 0-60 times & 1/4 mile times,normal car drivers usually don't abuse their cars like that. my

08-28-2009, 02:26 PM	#28 (permalink)
Red370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kaiserslautern, Germany Posts: 4,391 Drives: your mom to church Rep Power: 296	i dunno about the clutch, but the flywheel is a bit on the heavy side. I noticed this immediately, if you dont match revs +/- 200 rpms, the shifts are a bit jerky. Ive adjusted, but I couldnt drive smoothly for a week after I bought it. The tranny is loud, and there is alot of gear whine, shifter is a bit on the clunky side as well, but this should be expected.