I just installed Exedy Racing Stage 1 clutch kit on my 01 Maxima GXE today. I've had the clutch for 3 months now but I didn't feel like swapn the clutch out just yet. Tonite right after work I pulled the car in and repleaced my *2nd* ACT clutch. ACT clutches have had some problems lately with their pressure plates, it seems as if they get alot stiffer to depress, and also tend to slip under hard acceleration- especially on 3-4 upshift. Today I went ahead and installed a Exedy clutch on her- with 100K miles on the odo, it was a breeze, with some breaks in between n stuff alike, hour and 30 min later car was on the road. 1st impression, the pedal stiffness is mega soft, I thought I was pressing on the gas pedal. Clutch graps really good, no more really soft engagement, or chattering while depressing it. I have not pushed the clutch yet as I'm trying to break it in slowly. So far I totally recomend Exedy vs ACT. I got mine from the group deal on the .ORG ran by ImportPartsPlus and it was $$$ wise spend. I will report at later date how the clutch feels once I break it in- so give me a week to put like 1K miles on it. I refilled the tranny with RedLine ShockProof Medium manual tranny fluid, I find this fluid very good in cold Chicago weathers- when starting up. Once the tranny and engine warm up, the gears engage with really nice and reasuring feel, they also feel very direct. I have been runing this fluid for about 45K miles now, and I love it. It looked like new when I was pouring it out to do the clutch. www.myoilshop.com carries Redline fluids.

 

Nice... keep us posted man... what kinda flywheel do ya have on now? Fidanza?

 

I've had Fidanza with ACT before, I just lightly "resurfaced" the friction side of the flywheel with a cookie wheel grinder. Its kinda like a abrasive 2" in diameter wheel that deglazes surfaces on rotors, flywheels etc. Basically I do this on customer cars, and my own cars when I do clutches on them. I love the Fidanza, it revs up really nice. Next step is repleacing my broken intake manifold with a new unit from Nissan. No JB Weld fix is going to help mine.

 

any issues with engagement with the fidanza flywheel? slower initial acceleration due to less rotational mass? bogging between gear changes? is it a mod you would put on the must do list?

 

What is the explanation for the soft clutch pedal? Mine is too stiff.

 

What GL rating is the ShockProof?

 

hour and a half with breaks??? you da man.

 

GL rating, its safe for our trannies. I need to look at the bottles- they are in my tool box, supprisingly enough I put 5 bottles in the tranny ! I was looking for a hole or something where it was leaking out from, but not till 5th QT it was finally pouring out of the overfill hole.

Stiff clutch- indication of a worn out pressure plate- HELLO ACT, POS clutches.

I have had Fidanza on my car for about 35K miles, I love the way engine responds instantly to my left foot. Take off requires just a hair more RPMs in order to keep the engine from boggn down. Most people can't tell I have the flywheel in the car. I highly recomend this mod for someone who isn't going to be doing just 1/4 races- as it takes alot of practice to nail a good launch with a flywheel like a Fidanza, Unorthodox flywheel sucks, it weights more- don't let anyone fool ya.

I have done a clutch on my Maxima in a lunch hour before. When the OE clutch took a dump- 100 shot of NOS will do that to a OE setup. I have had 2 ACTs in there since, and they both only lasted around 30K miles a piece, pressure plates fail on ACTs. Stay away from ACTs. So far Exedy is rockn it, and its soooo soft I actually enjoy driving the car alot more.

 

 

5LBs eh ? did you know you need to swap over the hub that bolts the flywheel to the crank ? Its about 7lbs for this hub, then you need the CKP ring that the car will not start without- both flywheels need this transfered over. I installled UD flywheel on Stardusts car, they cost more $$$ and weight more. This is the 1st time I heard someone say Exedy sucks, I have had 2 ACTs go bad on me already, I have dusted a brand new SPEC on a test drive on my G20, I won't buy a ClutchBASTARDS (masters) clutch with their crappy customer service and cheap parts. If the Exedy goes, its only a hours worth of work to repleace.

 

How much do you notice the flywheel in everyday driving? Are there any gains, power-wise, and usefulness of your powerband wise? Quick job on that clutch, keep us posted.

 

This is all you get with the UD flywheel, now tell me how do you mount it ?

I have seen dyno tests on 3.5Ls to show over 16WHP gain at the wheels from a flywheel ALONE on a V6 Altima. I didn't gain that much, but around 4K RPM I gained 12WHP just from the Fidanza. Lets just put it this way, 40MPH 2nd gear roll ons are pretty nasty- STi Impreza is barely faster till 70MPH from that speed.