Okay guys did some searching before i posted this.. well i just received Merlyns car and am not impressed to the least.. anyway Ill get on with the MAJOR problem I am having..

It has a new 06 tranny with exedy stage 1 clutch and lightweight flywheel.. The owner told me it has Poly motor mounts.. When i go to let clutch engage if i am not slowly slipping the clutch as it engages it will jerk the car real bad as if the whole motor shook is what it feels like.. and then when im shifting gears.. when it engages the next gear (1st to second, 3rd, etc..) CLUNK is what i hear and i actually feel it shake as if the friggin thing is moving around.. is this mounts? flywheel? clutch? HELP! It feels so crappy right now.. i would not of bought this car had i seen it in person and I am NOT happy. Thanks for any suggestions

 

well, i know that aftermarket motor mounts are supposed to make your shifts "firmer.." but i seriously doubt if the clunking and shaking is supposed to be there... maybe the clutch isnt broken in yet.. how old is the clutch?

 

the clutch has 500 miles on it or so.. its also a new lightweight flywheel also.. don't know if this would make a difference.

 

That sucks. I have nearly the same setup with the flywheel, motor mounts and similar clutch. My shifts are very crisp with no clunking or vibration.

That car has had a lot of things done to it and and has been taken apart several times.

One thing to check would be the bolts that hold the engine cradle to the frame. The two front bolts are easy to strip and would cause just what you're describing. I know they've been messed with several times on that car.

You can check them very easily without lifting the car. There are two 17mm bolts under the front bumper about 4 inches apart. You can see them if you look under the car. Make sure they are tight and don't just spin. If you jack the car up you can check the bolts at the rear of the cradle too.

 

Yes I can tell by looking at engine bay.. so check the cradle bolts.. I will do that.. the owner suggested to me that it may be the left motor mount (tranny) cuz it was never replaced so that may be it too. I am going to go get motor mounts checked today by my mechanic because it literally is very uncomfortable to drive in its present stage.

 

It could be the tranny mount but I really doubt it. That mount isn't under much stress.

The two motor mounts attached to the cradle are what keep the motor from rocking front to back. The good news is that if the whole motor is rocking around the problem probably wont be with the clutch. The mounts/cradle bolts are nothing compared to pulling the tranny.

I didn't want to say anything, but I would inspect everything on that car you can. I don't know Merlyn personaly, just here, but he's not a person I would let touch my car with a wrench.

 

Why do you say that?? My mechanic is going to complete a full inspection he is someone i have trusted for over 10 yrs.. He is going to check EVERYTHING on it. He will have it for 2 days to do a complete check-up.

 

first of i recommend checking the axle... as i said that is the same thing that happened when the driver side axle went bad.

Derrick thanks for making assumptions about me without ever really knowing me.

the axles are raxles and should be fine but like i said when it went bad i had this feel that the axle was moving around.

 

Derrick merlin has been trying to help me.. I ordered those O2 simulators.. the dual ones should be here in a week or so.. doesnt matter only the pre-cats is what matters for AFR's.. just dont want a CEL.. and I am going to drop car off in a bit so I can have it inspected and see what needs to be fixed

 

The dual o2 sim will take care of it and yes, the precats are the only ones the computer looks at. When I did mine a few years ago there were no wiring instructions for the Maxima and I had to figure it out. If you need me to I can pull it apart and tell you which wires to connect.

Merlyn, I made it clear that I only know you from what you post here and I'm not trying to get personal. I think ser_altima should have the car inspected by someone competent since it's been monkeyed with a lot. I'm just trying to watch out for him.

I followed your thread while you were trying to sell the car. I thought to my self "who ever buys that car is going to have problems" but I kept my nose out of it.

 

If the seller is such a "STAND UP" guy he should volunteer to pay for half if not all the repair costs, esp since you never had a good day with the car.

(But it might go down as you get what you pay for.)

 

I have been weighting the option (once we find out what is wrong with the car) to offer to cover some of the costs, but depending on what is wrong with it I am not going to throw money at the problem yet.

I sold the car for $5,500 as is with the problems I knew about listed. the o2 simulator for instance, I sold the car with complete understanding that it had Cattman Headers on it. That is an obvious effect of Cattman headers, a check engine light.

If for instance the Axle is bad, well I just replaced that and would be willing to either figure out a way to get it covered under warranty (aka call on RAxles myself etc etc).

I drove this car every day for the most part of 3 years and even the day it got picked up. The truck driver and I spoke about the car as it was being tethered to the truck and he told me that it seemed to drive well and aside from an exhaust seemed like a really good deal on the buyers part.

It has to be understood that 1 the car has sat for most of 6 months (aside from the occasional drive I had with it), the car does have an aftermarket clutch that has 500 miles on it (the jerky feel) and the transmission hasn't even really been broken in fully..

I'm not trying to sit here and say that is the problem, but I can guarantee from driving it around my neighborhood, to driving it home from the shop, and driving it back from weebles I experienced NO issues with "the entire front end shaking".


and Derrick, I don't know if it was you that I argued about the lightened flywheel with or whatever it was, but I have worked on many peoples cars including a transmission rebuild for Weeble without a single bit of problem...

I would appreciate it if you didn't beat around the bush saying "car inspected by someone competent" all you are doing is slandering my name along with causing fear in the new owners eyes... if anything you should have just PMed those who were interested in my car and warned them instead of coming in here after the car was sold and talk **** about me and prevent me from trying to handle the situation appropriately. You are making me look like a bad guy, to the point the buyer has to step in and tell you that I am trying to assist with the situation..

I want it to be known that I told the buyer everything that I knew was wrong with the car, and I feel I was completely honest from beginning to end with the buyer. I didn't sell the car because of some mysterious vibration in the front end, I sold it to pay off debt and felt I was giving a buyer a good deal with some do it yourself work on top.

I feel my asking price of $5,500 was fair enough to allow for any other common wear items to be replaced.

I am willing to help the buyer in anyway that I feel is necessary but as I told the buyer and am saying here, I didn't sell the car expecting there to be any issues, nor withheld any information that I knew... I was looking for local buyers and even showed the car to Cutler in hopes to sell it to him. I'm not trying to scam here by selling it out of state, or just dump a problem onto someone, I want to help in anyway I can that I feel is acceptable.

 

Btw... O2 Simulator Install Guide
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...tallation.html

 

It could be an axle problem like Merlyn said (even though the raxles are pretty new on that car), but I doubt it's a shot motor mount. He's got poly front and rear mounts that again aren't that old, and didn't see any major abuse.

As far as the 'rough clutch engagement'...you have driven cars with aftermarket clutches, correct? Cars with aftermarket polyurethane motor mounts? There's going to be rougher clutch engagement, and you're going to feel it a lot more than on a completely stock car. Not to mention the clutch chatter that's so common with replacing a dual-mass flywheel with a one-piece style.

In any case, it drove fine up until it sat, and when he drove it around to pull it on the trailer I didn't notice any of these clunking noises that you're apparently experiencing. Everything seemed normal to me

Should take a vid of the sound.

 

I dropped it off at my mechanic at around 3 pm and he immediately go tin after I had explained to him the symptoms. I explained it had a new transmission from an 06 Max with new lightweight flywheel, stage 1 clutch, motor mounts, and new passenger side axle.

He tested mounts by leaving e-brake up all the way and then slowly letting clutch engage almost wanting to pull car forward.. he said axles and mounts are good because if they weren't the engine would shake like a MOTHA***** BUT you could see the wheel almost vibrating as clutch was trying to engage (still with e-brakeup) like it was basically shaking erratically.. he said this was something to do with flywheel/clutch setup. He suggested different possibilits such as maybe a warped surface or hotspot.

He is going to take transmission apart to take a look inside and visually inspect it because it is just not comfortable to drive.

I wish I would of taken video of the shifts, with the car how it is currently there is no such thing as a "smooth shift", because the clutch feels as if it is slamming into the flywheel surface so hard. Just imagine dropping the clutch.. essentially this is what it feels and sound likes to say the least between each shifts.. also when switching gears especially 1st to 2nd it is very rough and kind of grinds into gear almost as if the clutch is not totally disengaging.

I have a feeling I will go back to stock flywheel because I think somehwere with the setup is the root of the cause and I want this to be comfortable to drive.

Merlin I appreciate the offer and will keep you posted. I have been taking my cars to this mechanic (G&G automotive) for years and they do excellent work at a great price.

I am open to any other suggestions please suggest away haha

Thanks

 

For the price he let it go for i just have one question aside from the clutch since i was actually keeping up with the posts to his sell.

Aside from the clutch being rough and grinding (and no i'm not implicating that its Just that simple)
But how does the car actually drive? I'm sure its gonna be a sorta hard question to answer since atm it grabs or...sorta grabs.. But yeah, hows it ride once in gear?

Btw have you ordered exhaust for it yet? cause last i checked on Merlyns post the car was sold w.o exhaust corrects?

 

Yes Exhaust is on it.. and overall car drives pretty good.. nothing major sticks out I thoroughly cleaned it inside and out.. engine everything and it looks a million times better. I am going to get some 3M tint put on the windows since they have virtually nothing and I do not like it at all lol. I still am trying to figure out head unit situation seeing is it does not have a radio at the moment. Besides that car is pretty sound, I can tell it has been tampered with a lot but overall it seems to be okay for now.

 

maybe the clutch and flywheel werent lined up properly when the seller swapped everything?

 

How exactly do you not line up a clutch correctly? If the flywheel weren't properly aligned, the car wouldn't start immediately like it does.

BTW, your sig pic is way too big.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcSRi...e=channel_page

This video was taken after the resonator was put on the 3" exhaust which was done while the car was at the shop to get the transmission installed. You can hear me reving the car up a bit (with the new clutch and me not being use to it as this is one of the first times I have driven it)

you can hear the clutch grab in the beginning but aside from that, that is me driving the car as I normally would. From there, that day I went home, parked the car and aside from small trips around the neighborhood that was the last day it drove a distance.

btw, before that clutch I had a similar clutch installed with the same flywheel and it was a similar ride, once both the flywheel / clutch were broken in though the ride got better (not as harsh of an engagement)

 

A clutch / flywheel install is pretty straight forward... you get an alignment tool that if put in place "lines" the clutch up correctly when you are tightening the pressure plate down. The flywheel has a dowel hole and must be lined up properly for timing (which again the car starts fine so its not an issue with the alignment of the flywheel).

The flywheel was remaned by Fidanza and the clutch was brand new in box so unless there is a mechanical failure on their parts from the factory, those 2 components are really simple to install.

I don't want to call anyone stupid, but just want opinions...

have any of you ever run a brand new transmission with an aftermarket clutch and flywheel all at the same time?

I don't want to drag him into this, and am just stating I as I remember it but I asked Dave B about the "firmer feel" of the transmission when I installed it, worrying that it might be a transmission issue...

and he told me that a brand new transmission takes time to break in... add the fact that you have a harsher clutch and a lighter flywheel in place and I came to the conclusion (before I even decided to sell the car) that in a brand new maxima you have a much more forgiving clutch and flywheel and are not able to notice the "harsh" feel as much..

Nissan is known for having transmissions that feel "broken", they want you to have that "race car" feel to them, I use to hear this and go "thats bull****, something is wrong" but then when I drove my GTI for the first time I was like "HOLY **** this is smooth as hell I have never driven a maxima that is this smooth, let alone any nissan (as I use to drive nissans at my old job all the time)"

I'm not trying to say this is the problem, but some food for thought...

how many people have ever really dropped money for a brand new crate transmission on top of an aftermarket flywheel and clutch combo?

I have TWICE and both times I had similar responses in car feel... never did the front end feel like it was coming off, etc.. but I drove the the car in question and can promise you I would not explain the drive the same way it is being explained... that might be because I have driven twin and triple disc clutch cars before and have come to be grateful for the feel of my cars...

my 2 cents

 

Merlin I am not questioning your integrity what so ever.. I have driven cars with 800hp (Mamba vipers) and clutch was super stiff but did not engage like this.. it seriously feels like when it engages no matter slow I let it engage it feels like I am literally dropping the clutch because of how hard it hits the flywheel surface it is just so wierd

 

I understand your not questioning it, I am just trying to figure out what it could be.

The video above was taken the last day I had the Maxima as a DD. We had a small meet at my old shop, ajcool was there, weeble was there and a few others and they can vouch for the way the car ran.

I guess all of my posts in here are to not only give a helping hand but to try to answer any questions readers may have about the condition of the parts, the ability of the car to drive prior to it being sold etc.

I don't want to hold my hands up and say "Not my problem" but at the same time I don't want people to think that I sold the car with any intentions of it being mechanically broken (aside from what I stated in the sale thread)

The transmission was crated to my work via Nissan North America, it was installed using proper tools / equipment by an ASE certified and employed mechanic and I had no complaints regarding the install at all.

Now 6 months later I am being told that something is seriously ****ed up to the point you don't even feel comfortable driving it and I am at a lose for words because now I look like a lier no matter what I say...

I just want the situation to be fixed, I want you to feel in the end you got a good deal, and I want the car to treat you well

 

Thats all I want also.. I am going to have the mechanic go through a process of elimination.. if after opening it up and it does not work I will have a stock flywheel installed to see if that just HAPPENS to work.

 

the flywheels on the maxima are sprung (unlike most cars which have a sprung pressure plate) if you are going stock flywheel you might want to just go stock clutch / flywheel otherwise you will have a sprung pressure plate and a sprung flywheel which probably won't help any.

 

Okay guys time to give an update.. I talked to my mechanic today and guess what!! It is passenger side axle. Sad thing is this Axle is almost new its an RAxle. It has what is equivalent to about a foot to a foot and a half of rolling leeway in the axle before it engages. It will be fixed tomorrow.

Im just so thankful it was NOT the transmission or anything to do with it, and most importantly they did not have to pull transmission to inspect inner components. Made for a much more affordable repair. I would of done this myself had I know it was the axle, I just figured since it was new there was NO way it could be it.

Just for everyone's information Merlin has been aiding me through this and offered to pay for some of the repairs. He did NOT have to offer that. Car was sold "AS IS" meaning once he signed the title it was no longer in his hands. He is a nice guy and him and I have talked quite a bit, he helped me through what I needed to acquire the O2 Simulators because even the CEL that is showing is nothing bad, it still annoys me and I would rather get rid of it. I told him he does not have to help pay, but he is going to help me get one of the RAxles (one that went out so quick) replaced under warranty seeing is it is probably a manufacture defect.

Until then, I will be picking my car up tomorrow from my mechanic and will let everyone know how it goes, Im looking forward to it. I miss my Max haha.

Thanks guys.

 

Hey man,

I just had the jwt clutch and flywheel installed on my car. It engages pretty hard. So what was this axle doing? What were the symptoms? Im trying to diagnose mine with jwt and nissan. its not fun

 

Glad everything got worked out. What issues would be expected with a stock (dual-mass, '03) flywheel and a sprung pressure plate? I've already ordered a sprung clutch kit, and was planning on using my stock flywheel if I can. I don't mind issues that happen early on, as long as they work out after a 5-600 mile break-in.

 

You mean a sprung clutch disc? You probably won't notice too much of a difference, but it'll have more 'give' before full engagement.

 

Yes, it is a clutch kit with a sprung disc.

 

Hey guys sorry I did not post up yesterday with results. I picked my car back up from mechanic with new right side axle installed and MAN what a freakin difference. Car runs great now! I am still getting use to the quick revving Lightweight Fidanza Flywheel but other then that it does super good!

Oh and by the way i got my car up to 140 mph yesterday hehe wanted to test it out and behind the local Air Force Bas (Randolph AFB) there is a back road that is well kept, it is an alternative entrance that is for the base but only open at certain times, and well it was after midnight and the back gate was not open, but the road was open for my pleasure hehe Car pulled to 140 nicely and then I let off.

Merlin has helped me through the whole process and has been checking status to make sure everything got up to par. Going to Houston today to pickup a stock Head unit, an engine cover, and a few other little things.

Hope this thread did some help for some people and thanks guys!