g6civcx

Please note that this is just my experience. It is not the only way to get things done. Please feel free to share your own experience and recommendations.
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I've been inundated with so many clutch pedal questions asking about the same thing.

First, you need to remove the clutch damper from the hydraulic system: Clutch Line Modification - Removing Damper Loop - zeroyon.com

The damper serves no purpose other than making the clutch pedal feel numb and impossible to bleed by hand. Everyone should bypass the damper.

Instead of trying to bend the stock line, I recommend a braided clutch line straight from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder. There are many brands and they all are essentially the same thing. Just pick one.

Before bleeding, you should adjust the clutch pedal to get maximum travel. This will help you pressurize the line.

Open up the CL section in the FSM and look at the pedal diagram.

On US cars, at the bottom of the clutch pedal travel is a small switch. This is your clutch interlock switch.

You should also bypass the clutch interlock switch: http://zilvia.net/f/tech-talk/106125...-56k-warn.html

At the top of the clutch pedal is either a stopper bolt (base model with no cruise control) or an ASCD cancel switch (cruise control). This limits the height of the pedal travel off of the floor. Remove this bolt/switch for now.

NOTE: The ASCD cancel switch activates when you move the clutch pedal away from its top position. This kicks off the cruise so the engine doesn't overrev.


If you look in the CL section, there is a page showing you how to adjust the clutch pedal. Look at the pushrod. You want the pushrod to be as far out away from the driver as possible.

Start by unlocking the locknut on the pushrod. Then you can twist the pushrod with your hand or a tool. You want to unscrew the pushrod so there is as little sticking out of the threaded hole towards the driver as possible.

Don't unscrew the pushrod too much or the rod will come out of the hole completely.

As you back out the pushrod, you will notice that the pedal height will rise above the floor. Pull the pedal up by hand and you'll see.

I usually back the pushrod out until the pedal hits the backstop and cannot go any more. There's no point in backing the pushrod beyond this point because the pedal won't come up any more (the pedal is already stuck on the backstop).

You can leave the locknut loose for now until final adjustment.

Now you can start bleeding the clutch like normal. You'll notice that the clutch pedal has a lot more travel than it usually does, but that's ok.

TIP: When bleeding the braided line, you can pump the pedal several times to pressurize the line and hold the pedal down. Have someone quickly unbolt the line at the master cylinder and quickly close the fitting. You will feel some air escape and fluid will go into the line.

You then bleed at the slave bleeder bolt. It should only take a few pumps to fully pressurize the line compared to the stock setup with the damper.

When finished bleeding, test drive and chek the engagement point "friction zone" off of the floor.

If you still can't shift with the pushrod backed out all the way off and maximum pedal height, something is wrong. Either you have some internal problems, or your clutch master cylinder has the wrong ratio for your setup.

Guys with LS-series/V8 swaps must swap out the stock clutch master for something with a bigger bore like 3/4". There is no way to push enough fluid with the stock pedal travel and 5/8" bore. You either need more pedal travel or more bore.

Once you're sure the clutch can be disengaged, you can shift smoothly without grinding, no creeping in gear, and you can slip the clutch at a stop sign, then you can adjust your engagement point off the floor.

You progressively screw the pushrod into the pedal about 1 turn at a time. You'll see that the pedal height will come down.

Take your stopper bolt or ASCD cancel switch and install it where you removed it. You want to set the bolt/switch so that the clutch pedal barely touches it at the top of the pedal travel.

Take out and test your engagement point. If you're not satisfied, srew the pushrod in another turn, set the bolt/switch, and test drive. Repeat until you're satisifed.

After a while your engagement point will change due to clutch wear so you will have to readjust periodically.


The most imporant thing are:

1) Make sure that the clutch master cylinder pushrod can retract completely. This will take pressure away from the hydraulic system. If you set the stopper bolt/ASCD switch too high, the pedal won't retract completely and it will be like riding the clutch pedal all the time. Not good for your clutch system.

2) Make sure the clutch can disengage completely when the pedal is pushed all the way to the floor. Test all gears. You should be able to shift smoothly with the clutch pedal all the way down.

3) All you guys with cruise, make sure that the pedal is contacting the cancel switch at the top of the pedal travel. Otherwise your cruise won't work. Adjust your ASCD switch until the switch is pushed in by the pedal at the top of its travel. As you push the pedal down, the pedal will come off the switch and cancel cruise.

If the pedal doesn't push the switch down, the car will think that you're always riding the clutch pedal and automatically cancels cruise.

Test for creeping. Select a gear and hold the pedal down. The car should not creep. Check all gears.

If you set the pushrod too high, you won't have enough pedal travel to completely disengage the clutch disc. Every time you shift you will hear a crunch. It's like not pushing the pedal down completely when shifting.


Let me know if you have questions or criticism.

fliprayzin240sx

What would cause a your clutch to change engagement points? My clutch have a tendency to engage/disengage real low in the morning. When the car gets hot, it starts engaging/disengaging almost to the top and the clutch feels alot more stiffer. I've bled the line enough times, running a steel braided line straight from the mastercylinder to the slave. Brand new master and non leaking nismo slave. I dont think its a leak, it doesnt build up pressure or changes engagement point when I just sit there and pump it.

Any idea? Its not really affecting the car as far as causing any issue but its just annoying me.

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g6civcx

You can try changing to a different brand of brake fluid. You can also make a heat shield for the brake and clutch master cylinder.

Other than that, I have nothing. Maybe something internal.

codyace

Brake Fluid for sure makes a big difference in abused cars.


Great write up, however I will say that one shold be careful about over extending the rod, as it can push the pressure fingers 'to far' and into the disc itself, makign an awful screeching noise.

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g6civcx

I never had this problem on my SR, although slave cylinder travel may depend on the way the clutch is set up.

I usually back the pushrod out until the pedal hits the backstop with about 2-3 turns showing on the pushrod. It should help with bleeding since you have more pedal travel.

After that screw the pushrod in so suit the engagement point and put the stopper bolt/ASCD cancel switch to hold the pedal when it retracts.

djsilver

Your pedal isn't releasing the master cylinder completely so you're building up pressure in the clutch line. When the pedal comes up and the return spring in the master cylinder returns the piston to rest, it pushes in a little release valve at the end of the piston that equalizes the pressure between the reservoir and the clutch line. I had that problem because the little flip-flop spring on the pedal was weak and wouldn't pick the pedal up completely. I attached an additional little return spring to the pedal and hooked it to something under the dash to pull the pedal up completely. That fixed the problem.

Jonnie Fraz

You forgot to add before you install the clutch pedal (if you are doing a five speed swap) take the bracket and weld it up where all the spot welds are, so you won't break that wimpy bracket apart when you clutch kick that bad boy.

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godrifttoday

Is there any replacement for the the clutch mc with a aftermarket on with a bigger piston diameter? And to increase pressure is it only predicated on mc and not so much on slave?

g6civcx

There is an adaptor bracket you can buy. It lets you bolt in a Wilwood clutch master cylinder. Stock is 5/8". Wilwood makes a 3/4" that's perfect for most people who just need a little more.

Line pressure, pedal effort, or slave movement?

codyace

Any links to said adapter bracket? Those Master Cylinders are only like 50 bucks, less than a new OE Nissan one.

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codyace

That's MUCH more my style


Funny thing is I saw his thread on F/A but there was no link to the adapter hehe.

Thank you very much, both will be purchased tonight

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stinky_180

here are some pictures





figured i'de post these since i have them online.

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rebornS14

thank you for that.

godrifttoday

For engagment on clutch? Would just using say a 3/4 wilwood mc and using stock slave be better than stock mc and nismo slave?

gripster

I used a brake line union to bypass the clutch damper. Less than $3 at autozone, and it improved the clutch pedal feel 100%.

I still need to adjust the clutch pedal height, it doesn't go back up as far as i like.

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soreballz

My clutch pedal is super duper squeaky. Silicone lube spray on the spring and pivot points does nothing to help.

Thoughts?

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g6civcx

Maybe it's not the pedal. Have you listen to the gearbox area for the noise?

soreballz

No, its definitely coming from the pedal area. Is it possible that the squeaking is caused by the clutch master cylinder's pushrod?

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codyace

There is a bushing that goes bad up in there. I forget off the top of my head the name of it, but a quick search should yield a good result. Try things like clutch pedal bushing, etc etc.

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mothon

Mine does the exact same thing....let me know if you find a fix to this.

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EchaKqulo

I concur!! Looking forward to kill the annoying squeaking monster that live on my clutch pedal.

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codyace

46534-35F10 it's a clutch pedal bushing

the search feature is a doozy guys

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codyace

http://www.helladaftproducts.com/240...it-slsxcmc.htm

Looks good, but I'm unsure that line will reach to the passenger side where our slave is located (as the LSx is on driver side)

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PoorMans180SX

Here's my predicament; My clutch pedal feels fine (how it's always felt since buying the car) but my car is extremely hard to get into gear. I have to pump the clutch multiple times to get it in. It just started doing this, I've had the car for about 3 months. It has a "Stage 5" Clutch in it, which was installed by the previous owner.

I've bled the mess out of the slave.

The slave and master are not leaking.

I have no damper box.

Could there be an internal leak in either the slave or master, not letting it build pressure?

What brands do you recommend if I have to get a new one?

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godrifttoday

I'm going to assume m6x 1.00 or m10x 1.00, Dammit I forgot exactly

codyace

Well this looks like a neet little 'upgrade' that will cost roughly the same as OE Nissan...not a bad trade off!

Summit:
Wilwood MC (WIL-260-2636) 49.94
Master Cylinder to -3 Fitting (WIL-220-3406) 3.95
Slave Cylinder to -3 Fitting (-3 to M10x1.00 fitting) 11.39
40" Hose with a 90* Fitting (estimate length, FRA-322040) 23.95
89.73
S+H 10
Total: 99.73

and then:
Rigid Racing MC Adapter Bracket ([email protected]): 23 shipped

So 122.73 Total for the upgrade (110 if you find a 10% summitt coupon)

Or
95 bucks for S13 from mynismo.com (30610-70F50) (Figure 105-110 shipped total)
or
84.68 for S14 from my nismo.com (30610-70F90) (Figure 95 to 100 shipped total)



So in the end you're going to spend 23 (13 if using Summitt Coupon) dollars extra for an upgraded system, with all new goodies, and no issues.

Sounds like a win for those who are looking to replace Clutch Master Cylinders!

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cjmirabal1

the ss line i mentioned above is this one... DIF 10041 Auto to Manual Stainless Steel Clutch Line Conversion

will this work with the wilwood master or i would still need the fittings? and both of em?

codyace

i'm a nerd and have them on order...yes!

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g6civcx

No, I don't know what the thread is on the Nissan slave.

I don't have anything Nissan on my drivetrain other than the diff.