mtrai760

iTrader: (19)

ERRR, Damn thing didn't post. Here it is...

Two weeks ago I installed a Exedy Stage one clutch (not the ebay clutch), and Fidanza Flywheel. This is the third clutch Ive installed on a Maxima, so I have some experience. I thouroughly cleaned the flywheel surface and the pressure plate surface before the installation. I used a new pilot and throwout bearing, and greased everything correctly. I had no leaks on my main seal. I noticed right away that the clutch pedal felt REALLY soft, even compared with the crappy Valco clutch that was in there before, I mean REALLY SOFT! Almost like a Honduh clutch. I drove it easy for the first 400 miles or so, never had any clutch chatter. The clutch engages really close to the floor, but its easy to modulate once you get used to it. A couple days ago, I noticed that if I let off the gas completely in 4th gear, and then floored it, it felt like the clutch was slipping. There was no rise in RPM, it just felt like it wasn't catching for a second. I tried shifting a little hard into 5th, and felt it slip there as well. Today I bled the entire clutch system at both the upper port and the slave cylinder. I took it out for a test drive, running it to 6k rpm in 1st and second with no slippage, but it still does the same thing with 4th and 5th, and sometimes 3rd. I'm really pi$$ed because I don't want to pull my tranny again or buy a new clutch, not after all the work I put into this one. Anyone have any ideas? Only thing I can think of is to pull the tranny and do a visual, or order an ACT. PLEASE HELP!!!

JustMaxin96

iTrader: (3)

I am sorry to hear about your problems. This is going to be of no help to you at all but fyi. my clutch NEVER does that. I have had it on for about 4k miles. So I don't really think it is the clutches fault

Pappa Grande

Dumb question, but did you bleed the clutch system???

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Soft cluth = weak pressure plate.

That would also explain your slight slippage when engauging higher gears.

mtrai760

iTrader: (19)

Yep, Ive completely bled the system twice now, top and bottom. The slave cylinder is completely disengaging when I checked it. It's a brand new clutch, how can the pressure plate be weak?

PiotrC70

The only thing that came to mind is recently I did a clutch/flywheel job on my Z and so did my friend, we BOTH had to adjust the clutch pedal so it disengages higher. If you say that it engages almost off the floor, I would bring it up a little.
Hope you get it resolved, that's the only thing I can think of.

AllGo

iTrader: (1)

If there is no slippage in the lower gears ie 1st 2nd, then there certainly wont be slippage at lesser power/acceleration in 3rd and 4th. The pressure on your clutch disc is the same no matter the gear or rpm as long as it is fully engaged. What your experiencing is not slippage but more likely the that your clutch pedal travel is inhibiting the engagement and making it slower to grab.

JdawgX

I would agree with Allgo. Also, you may be slightly boggind the motor in the higher gears depending upon what speed you're at at the time. That would cause the hesitation that you're describing.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

His clutch is grabbing on the floor, by the time his pedal is all the way up it's definately fully engaged. If it were grabbing neear the top, then I'd say you have a engagement issue, but thats not the case here.

Slippage during shifts is felt more in the higher gears, 3rd and 4th. The RPM's rise so quickly in the lower gears, 1st and 2nd that you really don't feel the slight slip during engagement. It's most likely happening there as well, just that it's not as noticable.

You probably have a weak pressure plate which explains why your pedal is so soft. Pedal pressure comes from the pressure plate. If the pressure plate has the wrong springs in it or is defective (happens ya know) thats why your clutch is so soft and not holding properly. It's only going to get worse over time.

mtrai760

iTrader: (19)

I emailed PJ at Max Tunning to find out if there is any sort of warranty on this thing. I went out with Jeff92se tonight and had him drive it, and he couldn't duplicate the problem. As soon as I got back in the drivers seat though, it started again. The weird thing is that the RPM don't rise at all when it happens, it just feels like the disc is sliding for a few seconds before it catches, but not enough to let the engine speed up. I'm gonna put a few hundered more miles of easy driving on it and see where I stand. I checked out the slave cylinder and the clutch fork, the clutch IS fully engaging, it's not an adjustment problem unfortunately.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

How about a very hard clutch pedal? I understand a worn throwout bearing may contribute to that, however my symptoms have been an abnormally stiff pedal with the actual grabbing of the clutch being almost instant, not smooth at all. I was told that this is likely a bad pressure plate.


sorry to jump in on your thread like this mtrai760, I wish I could help.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

I drove it tonight. It seemed normal all except for the 1-2 times it kinda rattled when Mtrai shifted hard. Other than that, it seemed normal. Smooth pedal and good travel. Appeared to hold okay also. Not as smooth as my 3-gen clutch engagement though(stocker). I say wait another week/month and see how it goes. Personally I think at low revs, the Fidanza might be affecting things but Matt says no. It's really, really slight problem IMHO.