I went to the nissan dealership today to get my trans fluid changed. I did it myself before, but well it's not important. Point is that they said my clutch is slipping and it is 'on it's way out'. I put in a short throw shifter a while ago, but that doesn't matter, right? They said the trans itself is fine...

The cost is almost 1k without the flywheel and if that needs to be replaced $1300. I'm going to get it checked out by a trans place, but should i not get an OEM nissan clutch?

 

Get some aftermarket clutch....i installed mine about two month ago, and it is great...i installed dual-friction clutch and lightened flywheel...i bought a clutch from stillen, and flywheel from UR....price were $285 for clutch,
$410 for flywheel(5 lbs.), and $390 for install...so altogether, it is gonna be around $1100....and flywheel gives you feeling like you got 8-10 HP (not generating but feels like because less power needed to start...)

 

A good test for a slipping clutch is to travel on a level road at 50 mph in 5th gear. Floor the gas pedal. If the engine rpm increases quickly but the vehicle speed does not, you have a slipping clutch. The sensation is similar to spinning your wheels on an icy roadway.

If you were satisfied with the durability and operation of the original clutch, then get factory replacement parts. If and when my clutch "dies" I will not use factory replacement parts. My clutch chatters and groans.

 

[If the engine rpm increases quickly but the vehicle speed does not, you have a slipping clutch. The sensation is similar to spinning your wheels on an icy roadway.

The RPMs increase but the speed doesn't pick up fast? hmmm...well yea it doesn't pick up that fast...the car picks up slow and the rpms go up slow... but the RPMs aren't at 5k when i'm doing 60mph. Anyway i'm going to get it checked out by a trans place next week.

I'm now wondering how the nissan place determined that i need a new clutch just by driving it 20 feet. Is it experience on their part or did they take something apart..?

 

You cannot diagnose a slipping clutch by driving 20 feet unless the clutch is horrible and yours is not. At the risk of being overly suspicious, I think they are trying to sell you something you don't need. That's the reason I provided a Do-It-Yourself clutch test in a previous post.

 

My Maxima is fine, I only have 45k miles on it. But my 89 Mazda 626 has 140K miles and the clutch is starting to slip. I was pulling out of a driveway and threw it in first gear. I slowly pressed the gas as normal. When my foot was completely off the clutch, I pressed more gas to take off and not obstruct traffic. I was going 5 MPH, not accelerating at all, and my car was revving into the 4,000 mark. It was odd, I wasn't going anyway. Then all of a sudden the clutch must have caught I was on my way. It was a scary 3 seconds. I bought a Autospecialties replacement clutch kit (throwout bearing, disc, and pressure plate) for $70 at a car parts store. It was the last one and there was no demand for a mazda 626/mx-6/ford probe clutch. Now my 90 Accord is at 150K miles and the clutch is great.

 

This is an atypical clutch failure scenario. It makes me think the clutch actuator (hydraulic or cable-operated) was "hung up" and abruptly released. Perhaps you didn't need to replace the clutch.

 

I didn't change the clutch yet, but I think it's about time soon. I'll have my car inspected at a shop. The car seems really sluggish in the first 4 seconds in first gear. All the other gears are smooth and fine. I hope it is just a cable or something minor. Thanks for the input.

 

i have 57,300 on my max and the clutch seems ok, but when i plan to upgrade it to an aftermarket clutch should i also get a new flywheel.

 

look in the forsale section all you have to pay is shipping he says it still has quite a few miles left on it.

 

If you're replacing a clutch, there are a lot of excellent quality aftermarket pieces to choose from: Centerforce and ACT come to mind. Generally speaking, these will provide a heavy-duty replacement for the OEM unit. When you replace a clutch, you do not have to replace the flywheel, but you must have the flywheel resurfaced. Your smoothed flywheel will mate nicely with the new clutch, prolonging its life.

If you can find a competent transmission shop in your area, avoid that dealer altogether. Their quote for the work you mention sounds SKY HIGH! (I had all my clutch and flywheel work done for about $600 here in Memphis.) Good luck.

 

A good test for a slipping clutch is to travel on a level road at 50 mph in 5th gear. Floor the gas pedal. If the engine rpm increases quickly but the vehicle speed does not, you have a slipping clutch. The sensation is similar to spinning your wheels on an icy roadway.
[/I][/QUOTE]

I tried this test a few times and everything seemed fine. The rpms never went high...the speed and the rmps matched eachother fine....