350Z Grinds at start-up.....UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Netko350Z]

I have a 04 350Z 6mt and I am experienceing an intermitant grinding noise at start-up. I took it to the dealership to have them look it over but they were unable to replicate the sound, no big surprise.The grinding sound usually happens after I have driven my Z for about 20mins or so then park it and restart it after about a 10 min. cool-down.

The noise is still present with the clutch in so that would eliminate the transmission as the source. The noise sounds like a gear grinding or something skipping over a gear. It usually only happens for 5 seconds or so then goes away. The car drives fine and shifts fine. The pitch of the grinding noise does increase when you blip the gas a bit. Once when the noise was present I was driving and heard the noise "jump" as I went over a bump.

Any ideas before I drive it into the water off a pier?

[evildky]

kinda sounds like clutch material in your throw out bearing, but not what I'd call a "grinding" you could disable the clutch safty switch and start in neutral without depressing the clutch pedal for a week and see if it's still present, if that is the noise you only need to start worrying when the noise is present everytime you press the clutch pedal