shopping for a clutch...

[mycoupe8urs]

i plan on getting a new clutch in the next week or 2... the dealer said my current one is done. does anyone have suggestions for which clutches i should look into buying ?

[telcoman]

i plan on getting a new clutch in the next week or 2... the dealer said my current one is done. does anyone have suggestions for which clutches i should look into buying ?

How many miles on your G?

Telcoman

[mycoupe8urs]

74000 +.....

[RED_DET]

Whatever you do, don't buy a puck disc setup. It will chatter and you won't like it and there is no way around it. If your car isn't highly modded Forced Induction car, just get something comparable to oem. I can't believe your clutch is done @ 74k on a stock car.

[mycoupe8urs]

she told me it was done when i got my first oil change ( i bought my G last feb). But ive been still driving it since then cause i dont believe her. It seemed too convenient that she had someones card who specializes in transmissions... probably her husband and she was trying to bring him business. I was still looking into a JWT clutch kit tho because i wanted a different feel. Is that a decent one ?

[joe603]

What kind of performance do you want?

Here are a few things to remember when dealing with the G35 clutch.

You're going to have to replace the flywheel as the OEM wheel cannot be turned. The OEM flywheel is a dual-mass design to help stop transmission gear chatter. Your clutch has nothing to do with the chatter. However if you go with the puck-style clutch the car will be more difficult to drive. That clutch design has a full grip or no grip...it's hard to "feather" the clutch.

The flywheel choice is a tough one. The OEM is expensive and heavy. If you go aftermarket, they will be much lighter but cause gear chatter.

The JWT kit is known for chatter. I went with a stage 4 Competition Clutch. It still chatters, but the puck-style clutch grips like glue and the light flywheel lets the engine rev much faster!

APS makes a kit that has some good reviews, but will chatter too. I believe the flywheel for that kit is a little heaver then the JWT and CC flywheels, which seem to help with the noise.

Hope this helps.

[awdjdmtalon]

I just got the same clutch set up as Joe. I will be installing it this coming weekend. I will let you know what I think of it after install. But I will warn you. I have used puck style clutches several times on other cars, and I am used to the "ON?OFF Switch" type engaugement.

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

I am getting ready to do mine too! 48k miles... Does that seem soon?

I want a clutch that is going to grab like glue... Can I keep the stock Flywheel and use a stage 3 or 4 clutch?

How will i know if the flywheel is bad?

DJ

[mycoupe8urs]

Ive never had to change a clutch on none of my cars before so im a little unfamiliar with a couple things. What exactly do u mean by chatter ? Ive found a JWT clutch and flywheel combo on one of our aftermarket sites for $769. Is that a good way to go or are there any other better clutches i should look at ?

[RED_DET]

Chatter, a repetitive clanking sound while the car is idling in neutral. Some if not all 6mt g35's already experience this sound. Chatter can also occur under engagement or slipping of the clutch under acceleration. Most if not all puck style clutches will chatter if engagement is not improvised by your driving style. The puck style clutches all cause the chatter to increase while idling, although the flywheel is creating some of the issue as well. The puck disc just adds to the issue. I would recommend a aftermarket flywheel and oem clutch setup.

But we still haven't determined if your current clutch is toast, which I don't believe at 74k miles. Try this out a few times, drive around between 35-40 mph in 5th or 6th gear and then accelerate. You will know if the clutch begins to slip as the rpm's will rise but it won't be matched with your speed. If this doesn't happen, then there is nothing wrong with your clutch.

[tollboothwilley]

That seems to be a good price and you will have performance gains...but everyone that has gone with a JWT has complained about gear chatter. They say its sounds like a diesel truck when its in low RPMs

[telcoman]

I can't believe your clutch is done @ 74k on a stock car.

Me neither!

I generally get close to 200k on mine on many different vehicles over the years.

mycoupe8urs

There are a couple of quick tests you can try.

Test 1

When accelerating in 5th or 6th gear does the engine race & does the tach rise sharply with little increase in speed along with the smell of burning clutch?

Test 2

Place an old tire against the garage wall. Pull right up against it in first gear & begin to let out the clutch with just a little gas. The car should stall.If not then a new clutch it is.

Don't drive thru the wall

Telcoman

[mycoupe8urs]

Im gonna go out today and try that... thanx. And just in case i do need a new one, i really dont want that chattering going on. what about a ACT clutch kit ?

[mycoupe8urs]

I just got back from testing out my clutch on the road. I put it in 5th and went from 25mph up to 80mph. my rpms and my speed were even the whole time .... i guess the service advisor i talked to was tryna make sum quick side money... b*tch

[telcoman]

I just got back from testing out my clutch on the road. I put it in 5th and went from 25mph up to 80mph. my rpms and my speed were even the whole time .... i guess the service advisor i talked to was tryna make sum quick side money... b*tch

Most service advisors do not earn or are paid enough to afford the vehicles that they write up for service. By hitting a number perhaps $1000 they might get an additional $25 or $50 commission so there is an incentive for them to recommend additional work.After being informed of that many years ago I found it is generally beneficial to part with a $20 to the sevice advisor. Don't do it in front of anyone. Ask him or her to step outside to show them something or your car. They will always remember you & you'll rarely have a problem getting instant service. Some members here have reported baking cookies as well.

Just a heads up to you that my father taught me many years ago.

My diagnostic fee is in the mail. You can just deposit it to my 401k plan (Only kidding)

Telcoman

[joe603]

Mike, I've been told that the chatter is actually gear lash in the transmission. It seems that the 6MT is a beast of a transmission and to help keep it quiet, Nissan engineers decided to use a dual mass flywheel. The effect is to soak up some of the noise (I still heard chatter with the OEM clutch/flywheel, but not nearly as loud). Once the clutch grips the flywheel, the friction material or clamping force shouldn't matter. I would bet that using a lightweight solid flywheel with the OEM clutch would also chatter.

What about the puck style clutch causes the trans chatter?

[Sentientbydesign]

I have a used JWT flywheel for sale if you're interested. Check my signature. You can also email me for specifics about how the JWT flywheel feels.

[Jacko3]

All you have been told is true. Another test you can do is to stay stationary, push down the clutch pedal, put the gear in 6th, and then let it out----in essence, try to shift in 6th gear from stationary. If the engine dies, then the clutch is still good. If the engine revs, then the clutch is toast. Also, a burning clutch smell is another sign.

However, and as I have seen with my two eyes before, a clutch can be good today, and the next morning, it is completely out of order. A dying clutch will grab as good as a new one today, and yet die on you the next day. It happens all the time. So, you can't use the techniques outlined as a sure basis to judge a clutch completely, especially in a high performance car like that.

I don't know how you drive, but if you generally baby the car (60 - 70% of the time), then i would generally say that 74K should place it in its midlife, and thus you may still have another 20K - 30K to go.

If you drive like Jacko---crazy all the time revving at every traffic light, it is not that hard to kill a clutch in 40K. However, this is subject to the way the driver releases his clutch. In fact, my little nissan is a manual as well, and I have ragged that clutch to the point that serious smoke was coming out of the bell-housing and in front of my hood. I have no illusions with how I drive my G and my little nissan. I will be replacing my clutch again before it hits 70K on my G and I will be replacing the clutch in my little nissan very soon, or as soon as Uncle sam hands me my tax refunds.

In my honest opinion, preventive maintenance is the best way to go with clutches. Just buy a good clutch and install it when you are able to do so, whether your car's current clutch is good or not. 74K is not bad for a clutch, and i think you should be preparing to get a new one, anyways. Just my 2 cents.

[mycoupe8urs]

You do make a valid point Jacko.... its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I might just go ahead and get the JWT clutch and flywheel kit. I dont think im going to like the chatter i keep hearing about, but it sounds like any aftermarket clutch is going to have it. Thanx for the help

[Jacko3]

Also, pay attention to hard shifting and/or possible grinding. Those are also somewhat associated with a wearing clutch and/or throw-out bearing, which ultimately means replacement of the whole clutch system.

[Sentientbydesign]

A few points to consider:

1) The high gear take off test doesn't always work. My clutch was worn to the rivets and the friction surface on the flywheel had deep grooves, yet my car would stall on 6th gear take offs.

The only indication of wear (other than being told by the dealer) was that some high rpm shifts would slip.

2) As much as I'd like to sell the JWT flywheel (need baby/house money). The lighter flywheels seem to chatter more than the heavier ones. So the trade off is higher acceleration for higher chatter. There's actually great physic logic behind why this is true, but I won't get into that.

JWT and the chromoly flywheel that Joe603 and awdjdmtalon have will likely give the best acceleration and engine braking. The flywheels in between Fidanza, RPS, Nismo (I think), all weight more than the JWT, but less than the dual mass OEM design so you get a balance of both.