New, clutch problem

[daniel240]

ok im starting to get pissed! i installed a new spec stage 2 clutch in about a month ago. after the install i noticed the clutch pedal released slower than before, like when i push it to the floor and pull my foot off as fast as i can, the pedal doesnt push back on my foot. it releases, just not quit as fast. well i ignored it and drove it very easy for the 500 mile break in period. after about 600 miles, i started driving it hard. it feels like the clutch just isnt grabbing very fast. when i take off and drop the clutch its hard to spin the tires, it feels like it slips a little, and when i rev it up and shift to 2nd, it doest jerk like the old one did, it feels like it takes a second or 2 to engage all the way. i just had my friend at the nissan dealer, put a new slave cylinder on and bleed my lines and that didnt help, im really pissed, im calling spec tommorrow, but if anyone can help or give me advise, please do! the only thing i can think of when i installed it that i could have done wrong was possibly installing the throwout bearing backwards, but i dont think i did, and i did get the flywheel resurfaced. please help, thanks.

[NISTECH]

i have seen this once on a 300zx that someone had a "mechanic" buddy of his install. they where having almost exactly the same problem and brought the car to me at the dealership. lets just say I was very unimpressed with his mechanical ability. he had only tightened the flywheel bolts enough to pull the pressure plate about halfway down on the clutch plate. but there was some slight noise associated with it when clutch was engauged.

[daniel240]

well i installed it myself and i tightened the bolts on the flywheel to their specs, something like 22lb i think, i went off of what it said in the installs sec. of the 240sx.org site.

[Touchdown038]

Did you do a pedal check? Make sure that it's out far enough to engage the clutch completely? Might be something to check.

[p00t]

wait... you torqued the flywheel bolts to 22 lbs or the pressure plate bolts to 22 lbs??

flywheel bolts should be 100lbs, pressure plate 22lbs. make sure you dont overtorque the pressure plate bolts much either. i took mine alittle too far and wound up braking one...wasnt very happy. They are kinda soft though...

It doesnt sound like a release bearing because the problem isnt the release, its the engagement. release bearings typically dont disengage the clutch all the way when installed wrong.

since you took the faulty slave cylinder out of the equation, next in line is to make sure you truely are bleeding it correctly (the dampening loop under the car can be difficult, it takes a while).

try adjusting the clutch pedal like Touchdown suggested, check master cylinder. if all else fails your going to have to take the transmission out again and check the release fork mechanism and your clutch install work. maybe you got grease on the clutch surface? (use grease sparingly in there!)

good luck man, remember to go easy on the car if the clutch is slipping, if you drive it hard your just going to burn it up.

[Scott McLellan]

Maybe one of your hydralic lines is pinched or got dirt in it. Just an idea. Easy to check. Also that little wire clip that holds the clutch fork to the pivot pin thingy is kinda tricky. Maybe the clutch disc or throw out bearing assembly is somehow binding on the transmission input shaft. I'm just throwing out ideas.

[daniel240]

thanks, theses are all helpful, the pedal comes out far enough because i have 1 in. of free play in it, im kind of wondering about the flywheel though, im not sure what i torqued it to. could that be causing it if it wasnt tight enough? i dont know im out of ideas, keep em coming!

[Scott McLellan]

the flywheel to crank bolts are like 112 lb/ft. and the pressure plate to flywheel bolts are 22 lb/ft.

...one more thing i thought of. There is a plastic bushing on the clutch pedal itself that I found to be the culprit of my sticky clutch pedal. I used a piece of nylon tubing and drilled it out to 9/16 in. and then spun it in an electric drill (slowly) and sanded it down until it just barely fit in the clutch pedal hole. Cut it to length and put some grease on it and, wow, 100% better. There is also a spring thing on the clutch pedal you might check out. Again, just some ideas.

[daniel240]

where is the bushing? is it on the top of the pedal where it pivots? ill try that, my pedal does stick sometimes, however, thats not why my clutch isnt engaging quickly, i still havent figured it out

[Scott McLellan]

yeah it's where it pivots. there is a pin that has a little hairpin clip on the other side.

[Holisticbeatz]

I experienced a similar problem. Read about it here: http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....25352

[daniel240]

ok i finally got the problem fixed. after thinking about it forever, i could only think of 2 things it could be. one was that i didnt clean off the flywheel or presure plate before installing, and the flywheel probably had oil on it from getting resurfaced. also, my dad might have put on the throwout bearing wrong. anyway i pulled the transmission off, lightly sanded the flywheel/presure plate/and clutch disc, cleaned it all with brake parts cleaner and then i took off the throwout bearing and the clip thing that holds it in. i put it back together the way i thought it was supposed to be and put everything back together. when i tried it out, the engagment point was all the way to the floor, so i adjusted it out quit a bit until it was like 3in from the floor. my pedal also feels much stiffer now. and that thing grabs like a mf'er now. i dont get it, but im happy now.