I think I may have an answer to this. I too have noticed my Max behaving like this and it seems like one of those common problems with our cars that's hard to diagnose like the cold starting issues etc. I believe it's due to the (relatively) high inertial mass of the flywheel. I'll fill in the rest momentarily.

 

It was one of the few things about the Max that's always nagged at me for an answer but I've never known where to look until the answer found me. In short, I was reading a review/test drive of the new Porsche Carrera GT (in a MotorTrend, Car&Driver, Road&Track magazine) a few months ago and I came across a comment from one of the magazine editors about how the Carrera's low flywheel inertia (due to the absence of one in the traditional sense) allows the engine to rev almost supernaturally quick and is devoid of the lub, lub, lub feeling associated w/ engines laden w/ heavy flywheels. That is when I knew I found the answer, because it addresses virtually the only 2 criticisms I have of my beloved VQ engine. 1) Is its unwillingness to rev quickly. Don't get me wrong, it has a stellar power band and pulls from pretty much anywhere in it, but I've always longed for a quicker revving VQ. This brings me to my plans for an aftermarket flywheel upgrade in the future. And lastly, the annoying, almost non-existing tendency to "bog" or lub dub (for lack of a better description) back and forth when you let off the gas, or in your case when you get on it. Now I say ALMOST non-existant because it seems like I'm the only person who notices it. Just moments ago as of this posting I asked my sister, who's always w/ me, if she ever noticed this while in either mine or my mother's Max and sure enough she looked at me like I was from another planet.

 

OK well the verdict is in, I'm not crazy. lol I just convinced my sis to come for a lil joyride w/ me so I could attempt to show her this phenomenon and after the ride she agreed that she too feels the car "buck" or shake back and forth when I let off the gas. Her reaction was one of both surprise because she says she's never noticed that happen, and annoyance because I continually amaze her at how much of a "dork" I am when it comes to my beloved Maxima.

 

I'm sure that since the problem is possibly now diagnosed and quantified, one of the more scientifically inclined members on here can provide the technical reason for this phenom.
If my 2 cents was completely worthless in helping to identify the cause of this annoyance then I apologize to all for the waste of bandwidth and org space. If not, then I'm happy that I was able to contribute to the understanding of one of the more elusive mysteries about our beloved VQ and it's operation.
ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK AND OPINIONS IS APPRECIATED!!! as I have a couple other interesting tidbits to add only in the event of my posts being useful.

 

Well this is pretty interesting because I have felt it alot more since I have put in my Fidanza Lightened Flywheel

-matt

 

Now I realize that this sounds like the most abstract explanation for this but consider this. Who on here has noticed this phenomenon since the very first day they bought their Max, and of them who still notices it (possibly to a lesser degree due to the repair or cleaning of other contributing factors such as dirty fuel injectors, worn spark plugs/coil packs, dirty sensors, etc)? Has the problem ever gone away? I doubt it because what I'm proposing is that it's due to an inherently fundamental dynamic of our engine.
Also, of the ones that don't notice this shutterring/stutterring/pulsating we're talking about, how many have upgraded to an aftermarket (read lightened) flywheel? Anyone? In an earlier post by Nismo on this thread, he wrote that he didn't feel it and he suggested another reason for it. But lo and behold, you check his website and plain as day it's listed that one of his performance mods is a Fidanza flywheel.
This one's for you Nismo. Can you remember how your car drove before that upgrade? Did you ever notice a pulsing feeling from your engine whenever you lifted off the throttle, and even when you got back on it? I'd bet is was there, it's prolly more a question of if you remember it or not.
Further, to anyone out there with an aftermarket flywheel (that's lighter than the stocker's 17 lb.er IIRC) that still has the stock unit and the tools, resources and knowledge, try this. Swap out the aftermarket unit for the stocker and see if this phenom returns. Now I myself still have the stocker otherwise I'd gladly take one for the team and do it myself.
If the pulsing returns, after reinstalling the stock unit and disappears or diminishes substantially after installation of the lighter one, we've found our culprit.

 

Really??? Well there's an unexpected twist for ya. Now what I'm proposing is that this feeling is due to the INCREASED inertial mass of the stock unit when compared to other cars. But you say it's been even more prevalent after installing an aftermarket lightweight unit. Hmmm..... Are we onto something here or what?
It seems that my reasoning has a lot in common with what's actually happening here but there's a twist that even mystifies me.
Comments...anyone?!?

 

Where are Stevtec or SR when you need em? lol Send out the Batsignal cuz we're gonna need backup!

 

Is that so Matt? So you think I'm onto something?

 

pm me if you wanna chat live. I'm not sure how the pm thing works as I've never used it before but there's a first time for everything and I'm sure you can help me figure it out. If it's anything like an ISP's instant message feature then I should feel right at home.

 

so the less weight of the flywheel is causing the bog bog bog that I am getting..??

-matt

 

Anyone else want to comment on this AT ALL...

Another way to explain this is that my gas pedal "is really sensative toward my foot"
I can also feel this when I shift to lets say second and gas it right away...as the shift is happening its a bog bog then goes...come on people

Im leaning toward a gas related thing, Flywheel, or Coils

-matt

 

Let me just say, I am so glad I found this freaking thread.

Long story short, got a new spec stage 1 and a fidanza yesterday on my 96. Turns out I had the old 95 flywheel, so I had the guy drill the gear ring to make the fidanza fit. Picked it up, car drives ok, revs quick and smooth. but....in the lower gears with my foot ever so slightly touching the gas....lug lug lug lug.

I was worried that the drilling caused the lugging. after reading this thread, at least now I know it's not due to bad installation. and no, I never had any hesitation problems whatsoever before this. the lugging is pretty annoying, and at idle you can hear it in the exhaust. passengers not might notice, but like the rest of you, I know my car like the back of my hand.

not sure if I would have done it now if I knew this would be the result. then again, I haven't really had a chance to rip it to redline yet since the clutch is new. dunno if that's enough to convince you that it's a flywheel problem, but that's just my $.02.

 

Yup, fidanza flywheel here and have the same exact friggin problem....BUT, I noticed I also had a bad (opened) ball joint, and whenever I lubed it that the problem significantly decreased for a short period of time, until I had to relube it....just a thought Phew, and I thought I was the only one

 

Ball joint....hmm

 

apparently mine was unrelated. pulled the ECU codes and had a misfire on cylinder 6. changed the plug and now I'm nice and smooth again.

 

Ok, this is just a rather limited theory since i dont know much about the engine of my max yet, but ill do my best. Ive actually read about this before in a magazine, i forget which one because it was a while ago, but apparently the 350Z has the same kind of problem when switching to a new, lighter flywheel. I believe they explained that the physics of the engine required, i believe it was a 22 pound flywheel to work correctly on the 350Z, and when you changed to a lighter one, that...lug lug sound and some other strange things happened. They also said that it wasnt harmful to teh engine or anything, just that it ran ...rougher you might say, after changing the flywheel. So im going to guess that this phenomenon is not just limited to the maxima, but the entire VQ engine family. Sorry for being so vauge. My mechanical knowege so far is limited and maybe im way off here, but hopefully this helps in some way.

 

I have the same problem, in 4th or 5th gear i give it partial throttle about 30% and it stutters before smoothing out. I do have a fidanza flywheel but had the problem before and after. It seems to me that the problem is getting worse as i can feel the bogging in my shifter.