dawalkster

iTrader: (1)

ive noticed recently that my clutch is starting to slip when i really punch it (3/4 to wot) in gear, or upon entering a gear. should i start making funeral arrangements for my clutch now, or do i have awhile left before she flatlines?

also i know i have a bad throw-out bearing which i think is the cause of a lot of clutch fluid leaking; could this cause the clutch to slip or is it just more problems compacting on another?

and speaking of problems compacting- with a slipping clutch, leak in clutch fluid, bad bearing, evap code 1008, and missing coils i have a very sick baby.





edit: 300 posts woot! ironic though that my 300th post is about a problem and not praise.

97PKIMVQ

iTrader: (2)

i unno. i need to know the answer to the same question. my 2nd gear is slipping. errr.... i lost to a RSX TypeS K20 last night because of my clutch

maximazation

iTrader: (11)

well a slipping clutch will deteriorate until it wont grip anymore. so, its your call if you want to wait until the clutch completely wears out or replace before the clutch completely wears out.

leaking clutch fluid will probably cause a clipping clutch, but not too sure

sryth

The clutch will need to be replaced soon, depending on what gear it's slipping in.

Does it slip in 1st or second? What do you mean when you say "clutch fluid"? The fluid in the tranny (gear oil) or the fluid in the clutch system?

Either way, your TO bearing won't contribute to leaking fluid, nor will it contribute to a slipping clutch.

memphis_sktr

I just replace my clutch and I replaced it with a 5th gen clutch, and I like it a lot better than the 4th gen. It has more bite. I'm still not used to driving it. Just an opinion. Alot of people on the org are also doing it and so far no problems or complaints from anyone. Good luck.

maximazation

iTrader: (11)

thats what im doing after my clutch goes out, a fellow maxima owner told me that the 5th gen clutch is a nice to clutch to have if you have minor mods. today i went to the local nissan dealer and found out it costs $268 for the complete 5th gen clutch.

dawalkster

iTrader: (1)

the slip is in the 1st->2nd shift or in the early parts of second when i floor it, and its a very small slip.

im pretty sure its the clutch system fluid, but ill take a picture of the leak tonight.

how do you like your ACT clutch? if im getting a new one i think it would be a stage one act or 5th gen clutch.

sryth

It's not the fluid. If the clutch is engaged, the fluid is not in the equation. If you are leaking gear-oil from the transmission bellhousing (where it mates to the block), you may have oil on your clutch disk that is causing it to slip.

As for the ACT, it's very harsh. I love it, but a lot of people don't. It's real easy to tear up the tranny w/this clutch, given it's harsh engagement. I'd recommend a 5th gen or an Exedy (provided you get a real Exedy).

dawalkster

iTrader: (1)

no i meant i think its the clutch fluid thats leaking. anyways heres the pics of the leak, see for yourself.

multiplexor

well i've had a slipping clutch for the last year or 2.... if you ride it lightly, you could probably get another year out of it...

mine had started slipping when putting it in gear and gunning it without letting the clutch out fully at first... then 5th started slipping when flooring it... then 4th... recently, second gear started slipping too... BUT as of the last couple days i have FULL clutch back... I can gun EVERY single gear and not have any slip...

I think it has something to do with the colder weather / springs or something?!?

I think you could get more life out of it... now if your looking for an excuse for the gf to agree on the expense of buying a new clutch... then i'd say, for "safety" purposes you should replace your clutch with something aftermarket and more "reliable" soon!

hehe

sryth

Ok...let's get terminology straight. Clutch fluid is in the engine bay; it goes from your master cylinder through a line to your slave cylinder. When you hit the clutch pedal, your master cylinder pushes the fluid through the line/hose to the slave cylinder, which disengages the clutch.

Then you have gear-oil. This is inside the transmission. This keeps all of the internals of the transmission and differential lubricated.

If you have a clutch-fluid leak, it will be leaking from: the master cylinder; clutch line; hose; slave cylinder.

From where you took the picture, I'd say you have a transmission leak, *not* a clutch leak. This is very bad. You should verify that you have gear-oil in there; if you're low, you can destroy your transmission in short order.

If your transmission is leaking from the bellhousing (shown in the picture), you're most likely getting gear-oil on your clutch disk; this is causing the slip.

I would not drive it w/o checking the gear-oil. Your next trip in the car should be to a transmission repair shop to get their opinion.

I have a sneaking suspicion that your problems are much worse than you imagine.

sryth

You might want to check your axle seal as well.

xc351

Hello all -

I would've started a new topic, but it appears I am unable to do so. Therefore, I attempted to find a thread that was somewhat related.

I have a '99 SE with approx 24K on the clock. Sometimes it'll sit a week or three between uses. I bought it new in Dec '98 so the powertrain is out of warranty.

Lately, I've notice a howling sound when I release the clutch ever so slowly. Also, first gear just doesn't seem right. It seems like I'm on the verge of stalling it so I have to squawk the tires to keep it from doing so. In short, I look /sound like a total rube when I take off from a stop. Second on up seem fine.

I took it to the dealer and, after demonstrating the noise for them, they said that I had a bad throwout bearing. They also suggested that I replace the clutch at the same time (as the throwout bearing probably damaged it). They'll fix this for the princely sum of $620 or so.

I inquired as to why a car with such low mileage would experience such a problem and they said that the parts were "self lubricating" and that the periods of inactivity are what caused the issue.

I'm not much of a gearhead and I just wonder if I'm being taken to the cleaners on this. Also, does the explanation for the damage make sense?

Thanks in advance for any info!

BC

multiplexor

I have that exact same sound

and i still do, a year later... I was told that it's the throw out bearing and my clutch would soon die... but nothing else would happen to the engine... I was also told that I could simply let the clutch die out and replace when necessary...

glad i'm not alone hehe

sryth

Well, what you describe certainly sounds like a TO bearing. As for the price, $620 sounds reasonable (they have to remove the tranny). I don't know what they meant by 'self-lubricating'.

Your clutch is probably not damaged. I would change it anyhow, since you're going to be in there. Most of that $620 is labor for the transmission R&R, so it makes sense to do the clutch too.

Bobo

I suggest you drive your car a little more xc351. You have relatively cold winters where you're from don't you? Is the car garage kept? It wouldn't hurt to drive it at least once a week to the point where it is warmed right up and get it out on the highway a couple of times a month. I thought almost 58K on my 95SE was low, but this takes the cake.

xc351

Yeah, it gets pretty cold here. It's been garaged since new and never sees snow and only occasionally sees rain. I've got a ratty '88 Accord for the incliment weather and a Miata for sunny days. The Max just falls in between.

If I get this work done I guess I'll have to pull it out more frequently. I don't want to face this bill every four years. Yikes! What I don't understand is that, even in the winter I occasionally get the Max out, but the Miata, which doesn't have the problem, sits untouched for four to five months out of the year.

Thanks for the quick responses. It is appreciated.

BC

illmortal

Good now you can get yourself a street-race clutch... say a stage two... 6 puck? I'd invest in that, it'll last you longer than a stock clutch that's for sure, and it'll grab those gears like a beast!

dawalkster

iTrader: (1)

oh fuc k


i got out my haynes manual and went to check the gear-oil (thanks for the terminology help sryth) and when i got under my car i realized that i didnt even have a filler plug to cover up the hole!! so after getting over that shock value i stuck my finger in there to check the lubrication level and all i could get was a greasy black substance on my fingers that had the feel of chalk almost. so thats telling me that im running dry or close to it. im going to have my dad take my car to a tranny place tomorrow and see what they think. gear oil on my clutch disk sounds like its the cause of the slipping aswell, because its a rare occurance when it slips and i can still feel my clutch grabbing very hard on the gears.


so what am i looking at now? is it gonna be new transmission time?

sryth

Holy ****! That's not good...are you sure you're looking in the right place? If you can, snap a picture to verify!

Before you drive it *anywhere*, get a new fill-plug and some GL-4 (gear oil). Don't use GL-5 unless you can't find any GL-4. Get some fluid in there before driving it anywhere.

My guess: You have no fill plug, so the fluid sloshed out. Lack of lubrication lead to the destruction of your bearings (probably all of them). The bearing failures led to a seal failure on your inputshaft. The seal failure on your inputshaft causes what little fluid you have left to get all over your clutch disk.

Take it to a trustworthy shop and have them crack the tranny open and check it out. If the transmission is salvageable, count yourself lucky. Since they'll have the transmission off, you might as well get the new clutch ready. Check with the shop before you go buy a clutch; a lot of places won't warranty anything if you bring in parts. Let them buy it if that's the case.

I'd guess you need new bearings all around, and I wouldn't be surprised if you melted some of the internals. If that's the case, you're looking at a rebuild ($400 and up), a new tranny ($1600 for the unit), or a junk yard unit ($300 and up for the unit). Add on a new clutch kit for ~$300, and about $400 labor.

That is an insanely bad idea. The modified street disk is more than enough for our car. The puck-style ACTs will *destroy* your transmission. My ACT disk is harsh, and the puck-style clutches make mine feel like stock.