Gentlemen (and ladies);

For those of you who autocross and road race your Maximas and Infinitis, do you have a recommendation for an aftermarket clutch? I have a new engine going into my car, with cams (will bump me up to SM - Street Mod, sucks, I know), and a Fidanza lightweight flywheel. Since the current stock clutch and flywheel I have is probably getting near to the end of its life (140k miles, and only on it's second clutch), I want to put a new clutch in when the new engine goes in. Any suggestions? Spec, Exedy, etc?

Any help you could pass my way would be greatly appreciated.

Elon Hayes

FYI, the new mods list will be as follows:
- donor engine from 2k3 Auto Maxima with 40k miles
- Deluboz cams (JWT S1 knockoffs)
- double shimmed HR valvesprings
- 06' 350Z Rev-up oil pump
- Nismo Thermostat
- Ralco lightweight underdrive main pulley
- Fidanza lightweight flywheel
- Aftermarket clutch (still TBD)

- K&N Filter
- Place Racing CAI
- 3" ID BBMAF Housing
- 3" ID Upper Intake Piping (MAF to TB)
- Ported and Polished TB
- Port Matched and Polished Intake Manifold Elbow
- EGH Modified (extra porting and pilishing) SSIM
- Polished Lower Intake Manifold
- Z33 Injections (330 cc I think)
- Cattman Gen II Headers
- 3" Test Pipe with electric cutout (TBD)
- Cattman 3" Cat-Back Exhaust

- Energy Suspension Motor Mounts
- Energy Suspension Subframe Bushings
- Energy Suspension Shifter Bushings
- WM Short Throw Shifter
- Bomz Front Strut Tower Bar
- Progress Rear Anti Sway Bar
- Eibach Pro Springs
- Tokico Illuminas (Adjustable)

- Goodridge SS Brake Lines
- ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid DOT4
- Brembo Blank Rotors
- PBR/Axxis ULT Ceramic Kevlar Pads

- 17 x 9 Ford Bullet Replica Wheels
- 275/45-17 Hankook C71 Ventus Z214 Slicks

- Greddy E-Manage Ultimate
- Zeitronix WB

I've run an OEM '01 AE clutch and pressure plate (Exedy made them for Nissan) for years and it only slipped once on the track. I was pushing the car really hard with the NT01s on a very hot day, so I backed off for half a lap and the slip didn't come back. Personally I like a lighter flywheel with a mild clutch that slips instead of something that puts more stress on the transmission.

Also I wouldn't bother with the Ralco underdrive pulley on a road course car. IIRC they leak and unless its all balanced with the motor I would not trust it on track runs. Neither would I run a cutout unless the dump pipe exits on the side of the car. Setting the undercoating on fire doesn't sound like a fun thing to do on the road course.

OEM Z33 Clutch Disk and OEM PP.

Stock drivability, w/ decent/good holding power, will hold the power you're going to be making.

The harder I drove it at the track the more it stuck, chirps 4th gear all day on the road course.

I've installed a couple of Z33 clutch/pressure plates on 5.5 gen VQ35s. I recall the clutch pedal feel being slightly softer than OEM 5.5 clutches but the clutch grabs harder and holds very well. The only bad thing is there is a slight noise when you start the car as the parts are not 100%, IIRC the pressure plate self machines itself after a few minutes of noise.

ACT Street disc here. been using them for 10+ years and no problems.

I had so many noises on my first start up w/ the 6MT I didn't know what was what, I do remember it being chattery as HELL first leaving the garage w/ a brand new fidanza lw fw, Z33 disc and A33B pp. Like so chattery I thought I messed up something really bad... after getting passed the stop signs in my neighborhood it was bareable, and after a day or two it felt awesome

Where can you pick up a Z33 disc seperate from the pressure plate?

I guess the question really boils down to, with a nearly 300 fwhp car (which I am not yet to), is it worth upgrading to the Z33 disc or a Exedy stage 1 clutch vs just running the stock Nissan clutch?

eBay, and hang around my350z, stock clutches are used in that territory quite often.

You're just at the limits of your OEM Maxima setup.

I have a stillen UD pully and have had NO problems WHATSOEVER. My mechanic told me that VQs were internally balaced so UD pulley is fine. Only thing with UD pulley you might have to increase your idle rpm 150-200rpms because lights will dim a little at stock idle. After you increase idle everything brightens up.

I have a SPEC Stage II clutch with fidanza flywheel and LOVE it!!! Things grabs hard when I want and is delicate enough for smooth engagements during daily drive!!

Thing is most people who run the UD pullies don't do any road course racing. The Org just doesn't have enough available data, so I like to err on the safe side and keep the OEM pulley at the cost of a couple of HP. You can call it specious reasoning on my part. If you look at my setup it is mostly OEM parts from various years and knock on wood after dozens of track days I have yet to have any major failures on track.

IMO For 1/4 mile runs and dyno pulls UD pullies are ok but when you run 20~40 minutes flat out going above the factory rev limit it is something I personally do not trust. If I was to build a motor I would get the whole assembly balanced to eliminate that possibiltiy. Over the years at track events I've seen enough engines break and puke oil all over the track on modified and "built" motors. I am already a target driving a FWD boat sedan on a road course so I don't want to be "that guy" who's engine sh*ts oil and metal bits all over the apex of some turn ruining everyone else's track day.

My engine's problems weren't caused by a UDP, I can guarantee that.

Nor is there excessive wear on my bearings or anything like that.

VQ's are internally balanced, they do not need a crankshaft pulley to balance out the engine rotating assembly (Crank, Pistons, FW).

I'm going to be running the lightest/smallest pulley possible on my 3.5 too.