Clutch Problems

[max_misawa]

If you have a problem with your clutch give me an e-mail.
I have had quite a bit of experiance with SOHC and DOHC KA's and SR's as well.
Just wanted to lend a helping hand.

Max

[max_misawa]

Anyone in the SF bayarea got a RB swap?

Max

[capesr20de]

I have a sr20. I have a clutch problem. for some reason I build up pressure after driving for a while. I have bleed it tons of times and I put a new slave and master and took out the box in between the slave. any answers

[max_misawa]

Okay every one uses diffrent words to describe problems.
Thats why we have "nomenclature" standard words for parts/problems.
Describe the problem in more detail.
Does the pedal get harder?
Does the clutch/trans make noises?
Okay just post when you get the chance.

Max

[capesr20de]

sorry about that.
The clutch builds up pressure and then starts to slip.

[s13DrOop]

hey quick question, on my sohc the clutch tends to "sqeeak" a lot or make noise. help!

[aa87]

sorry about that.
The clutch builds up pressure and then starts to slip.


Bleed lines, sounds like you have a bubble in the line that expands with heat.

[s0ldats]

sorry about that.
The clutch builds up pressure and then starts to slip.

i have had that prob in the past. notorius for me on hot track days. doesn't tend to do it for me in daily driving.


sounds like you still have air in your system. also did you make sure not to kink the hardline when you bent it around? do u have SS clutch line?

[max_misawa]

what does build up pressure mean?
you mean the pedal gets stiffer?

Max

[Jung918]

Max
I have a '91 5-speed. I had my car on jack stands and started the car up. My car was in neutral and the rear tires started to spin. But when I pressed in the cluth it stopped spinning. Do you know what is wrong?

[max_misawa]

thats normal.
did you try driving the car yet?

Max

[capesr20de]

I have bleed the lines many of times and the pedal gets stiffer as I drive and then clutch starts to slip.

[max_misawa]

I have bleed the lines many of times and the pedal gets stiffer as I drive and then clutch starts to slip.

Did you resurface the flywheel?
Did you bench bleed the master cyclinder?

Also check the pivot ball, i broke that shEit once and it took me about 3 weeks to figure it out.

Max

[capesr20de]

right now the stock one is in and it seemed to be good. we put a new one in and it was doing the same thing and thought we had a bad one so we put the stock one back in. I cant rember if I bench bleed it. And what is the pivot ball?

[drftwerks]

pivot ball inside the tranny

[Jung918]

Not a cluth problem but I got a 300zx master brake cylinder. I am trying to bench bleed it but don't know what to buy to do it. I was thinking about getting some hard lines but didn't know what size to get. Or should I get some bleeder valves and hook it up to a clear tube back into the BMC?

[max_misawa]

to bench bleed a master you put you fingers over the outlet/s that go to any hard lines.
the you usea screw driver or something and pump the cyclinder (you have to fill the bowl with fluid first)
then the cyclinder will press the air past your fingers where you are holding it closed.
when you get all the air outstop pumping (1~10 pumps usually does it)
dont tilt, tip, or spill any fluid if you can try not to.
It can be a real pain to bench bleed, but not bench bleeding is 100X worse.

Max

[The Hamsterball]

I don't really have a problem, more of a concern.

I got a new clutch complete kit installed recently. I already know it takes like a week to break it in.

After a week it fully hardened (it was soft and spongy when I first got it of course).

I put around 400 miles (alot of them being freeway) on the clutch, and then did a canyon run. (it took like 2 weeks to put around 400 miles).

So now it's at like 650 miles on the new clutch. It doesn't slip, it feels FULLY broken in now... it did especially after the canyon run (which i revved to like 6200RPM range on of course).


I'm just worried if I fucked it up by not waiting longer. Somebody told me I should have put 1,000 miles before canyon running. Another guy told me not to worry and said it can take as little as a day to break in.

I'm just worried about my clutch longevity.




CONCERN #2:

After a 10+ minute freeway drive in which I am in 5th gear without shifting or pushing the clutch in...

I get on the off ramp and when I push the clutch in, it is HARD. I love it.

then after some use on the street, it softens back up to the normal softness.

Also, on hot/warmer days or colder days the clutch pedal feel changes.
the engagement stays the same, but it gets harder or softer depending on the weather.

I understand this is a hydraulic clutch, but is there some way to get a consistant feel? I will already try bleeding, bench bleeding later on, but I'm just wondering if this is normal or not for you 240 owners.

[autobahNESSA]

Here is my problem:

sometime when I have the car in gear, and I push in the clutch the clutch will still be grabbing and pulling the car forward.

other times i can hold the clutch in with the car in gear and nothing will happen.

majority of the time i will come to a stop, clutch in and car in gear, it will be sitting fine then all of a sudden the clutch will start to grab and pull my car forward.

another probelm I have which I think is caused by the clutch thing, is that if i come to a stop in neutral, sometimes I cant get it into gear without pumping the clutch and trying to go into any of the gears and then shoving it into 1st. same happens if i come to a stop with car in gear then put it in neutral.

I have a spec stage 2 clutch with 26k on it

[max_misawa]

Hamsterball: try a new clutch line, that should hlp the pedal feel more consistant.
Also check the fluid to make sure it is clean.

Bayarea240: sounds like the pivot ball maybe worn out, do you loose any clutch fluid?

Max

[wingsnthangs]

Not sure if this is a clutch problem, but only lately ive been experiencing this:

The tachometer needle sometimes drops from whatever RPM (3500 for example) to below 750RPM when I step down on the clutch or cruise in neutral, notably when coming to a stop. Occasionally it would simply stall right as the car stopped (with the clutch down), and sometimes the engine would feel like its struggling to return to safe idling RPMs and sometimes it would jump and fluctuate.

Everything seems fine when I'm driving and shifting through gears. 91' KA, stock engine, driveshaft rebuilt 7000 miles ago, due for an oil change in 500 miles. The problem has become more frequent in the past few days.

Thanks! I think its very generous of you to offer advice and help so openly btw.

[max_misawa]

wing: sounds like a leak in your intake manifold.

Max

[The Hamsterball]

wing: although it could be a leak in your intake manifold, it could also be a bunch of other things as well.

some things you can check:

IACV- you can also check this part out, by your intake manifold.
it's used for your warm up idle mostly, but i've heard it can cause problems with idle stability.
(not that hard to check this. Pinch the hose to the IACV, the idle speed should drop if it's working normally.
Also, try to start the engine with the gas fully depressed. It shouldn't start up if the part is working normally)

MAF- also associated with this type of problem. check the current.

Injectors.. they may be clogged/dirty or have a faulty connection.
Check the connection with an ohm gauge and see if all have consistent power.

if they are clogged/dirty, it could affect your hesitation, idle fluctuation.
but, there's a less chance of these as the culprit since you didn't mention any gas mileage problems..

you may also want to have your fuel pressure checked.


these are just some other things to look for...

[autobahNESSA]

no, i dont lose any fluid, u think the pivit ball would be causeing it? How easy is it to replace the pivot ball?

[max_misawa]

the pivot ball it just like a big bolt with a ball at one end, a new one is like 4 bucks at the dealer.
just use a deep socket on an impact and it will come right out.
But you have to drop the trans to get to it.

Max

[s13driver]

what is the part # for this pivot ball ? and when i try to look it up under my fsm i can't find where the pivot ball is located. cause i'm thinking i might have the same problem as bayarea240

[wingsnthangs]

Max and Hamsterball: Thanks a ton! I'll take a thorough look when it stops raining. Until then, I'll just refer to my FSM.

[mhjrSR]

Since we're on the topic, I also have a question;
Ever since i bought my 89 the clutch has been extremely soft, but it doenst slip at all. The fluid was low so i bleed it and filled it back up, but still no change in the softness. Let me know what you guys think it could be. Thanks!

[JDMark]

Since we're on the topic, I also have a question;
Ever since i bought my 89 the clutch has been extremely soft, but it doenst slip at all. The fluid was low so i bleed it and filled it back up, but still no change in the softness. Let me know what you guys think it could be. Thanks!

my 89 is the exact same way. do you sitll have the dampner in? im thinking of upgrading the clutch line and removing dampner and hope it will help.

[mhjrSR]

Yeah, im thinking of doing the same thing. I just ordered the SS clutch line from the GB going on.

[max_misawa]

240's always have soft pedals.
I dunno why.
when you do a few donuts the pedal should get a little stiffer.
ALso as a pressure plate gets older it gets more stiff.
If you look at the life of a clutch its is like a dyno sheet.
it goes up, levels off, then when it is ready to go out it does so sharply.

Max

[mhjrSR]

Well, i have two friends that have s13s and their pedals are not as soft as mine, actually its really stiff. There is a big difference. Thanks for the info though.

[max_misawa]

with a stock pressue plate you will have a soft pedal.
If you get one of those so called "heavy duty" pressure plates then yea you can get a stiff pedal.

Max

[max_misawa]

any updates?

Max

[DavidC]

if there is fluid leaking down my firewall on the inside right by the clutch pedal. it means my clutch master cylinder is on the way out right?

[max_misawa]

if there is fluid leaking down my firewall on the inside right by the clutch pedal. it means my clutch master cylinder is on the way out right?

If it is leaking, it is "dead" already.
I would not drive it, just to be safe.

Max

[james_s14]

max. this is my problem:

when i start driving my car, the clutch feels great, if feels a little soft considering i have a heavy duty pressure plate and six-puck clutch, and shifts perfect. now after i start driving for a while and start using the clutch, the pedal gets stiffer and engages more towards the top of the clutch pedal. its been doing this forever. as soon as i bleed it, it goes back to normal. i have installed a new master cylinder a couple months back, ditched the damper box, installed the nismo ss clutch line, installed new slave cylinders, and bled the system numerous times. mechanics have bled it as well. i went to some transmission shops, and they think its the pressure plate. i went through the whole system and tightened all the fittings and stuff. what could the problem be? im stumped. im very close to buying a new ACT 6-puck clutch and xtreme HD pressure plate kit. i want to make sure what the problem is..should i install a new hard line going from the master to the slave as well? should i try replacing the master again? btw, the master cylinder makes like a rubbing noise when im depressing it over and over again.

[max_misawa]

[email protected] is my e-mail

Thanks

Max

[TheTicTac]

When you installed the pressure plate did you tighten the bolt in a triangle pattern? Kind of like how you would tighten lug nuts on a wheel in a cross (4 lug) or star (5 lug) pattern. The reason I ask is because the pressure plate fins might be uneven.

[snappy]

Ok almight Max, I just put in a Fidanza aluminum flywheel and stage 1 Gripforce F1 clutch in my 91 240sx. I put in new Master and Slave cylinders and bleed the line correctly. BUT when I let the clutch pedal out I have to let it almost all the way out for it to go into gear and it over revs bad. We tried adjusting the clutch pedal as far to one side as possible and that only helped a little.
I've only put maybe 100 miles on it and in the past using an ACT stage 1 clutch on my other 240 when I put it in the clutch worked perfectly. So it seems like my 240 isn't engadging all the way. Please Help.

[Zilvia4eva]

I have this same problem and I've tried bleeding it and adjusting the pedal many times with no results...