Hi guys, I need some advice asap.

-2005 G35 6MT coupe 118k

I've had this car a few months.

When parked engine off, it would go into gear perfect, when engine started I had to force it to go into gear and when doing so flywheel grind and a horrible whining noise
similar to cement truck and the car acted like it would almost die so I'd let up on the clutch quickly.

After exiting driveway, less difficult to get into gear, the first few clutch engagements same whining noise. but after a couple mins goes into gear perfect, no noise. no noise at all when warm.

So I ordered a new OEM clutch kit and flywheel from infiniti Atlanta GA.

Today my local Nissan dealership did the replacement. I also brought them a 07 HR y pipe to install with new oem gaskets, and had them replace the serpentine belts with new oem.

I had told them about the getting it into gear problem this morning and that I was concerned if it would do that after the new parts are in.

I went to pick it up, asked if any problems. They said went great.

I paid, hopped in my car to leave, I started my car, pressed down on the clutch and blammo,,,, the same whining noise. If I press it down then back up repeatedly
half the time it would be silent and half the whining noise.

So I go back inside and get them to come out, show them. The tech who did the install, test drove it, and didn't mention the noise- sat in it and listened.

I've got the service guy and the tech out there.

I'm like what is that? They pretty much acted like the noise couldn't have been from the work done.

The service guy says he thinks it's a bearing from the crankshaft. ..

they say it's 50/50 whether it would be free vs me having to pay to have it all opened up again if it happens to be nothing to do with the work they did.

The guy also said since I didn't show them that specific noise then they didn't know to search for it, because they didn't know. But that's bull because they
heard that noise every time they moved the car before working on it.

so I decide there's nothing we can do at that moment, I will take it home drive it this weekend, see if the noise goes away? and get back to them.
it's 4 o'clock on a Friday and i just got dropped off to get my car. Nothing can be done til Monday and I don't want to let it sit there all weekend.

On the way home it probably only made the noise 5 times when I press the clutch down.
Otherwise car drove fantastic, shifted great, no slippage, etc..

so now I'm here looking to research to find if it's possible the brand new throw out bearing could have been bad?

what should i do?

I bring it back Monday morning and I need a game plan.

I don't think they're trying to screw me over. The tech guy acted like there was no way it could be the parts he just put in.

It's just shady to me though. The tech test drove it, parked it, didn't mention a thing about the noise, and the second get in my car I find it...ugghhhhhhh

I'm 99% sure it's gotta be the throw out bearing.
It's weird, that noise would only happen when cold and then it entirely disappeared when warm. Now i think it makes the noise warm too now just here and there.

Has anyone ever heard of a case of a transmission bearing or crank shaft bearing making the same noise our bad throw out bearing make?



Do I just have them get it all back opened up and hope they can see if it's truly the throw out bearing? what if they lie and say it's not and try to charge me ? Are they even going to be able to distinguish if it's a faulty bearing just by looking at it?

 

I drove around for a while, only did the noise slightly when I had the clutch partially engaged kinda in the middle, and then when I got home in the driveway I could only get it to make a little noise if I had it partially engaged again...

so it seems like it's happening less and maybe slightly quieter as well..

Is this normal, like a throw out bearing break in?

 

Did he replace the pilot bushing also? Im assuming you also stayed with a dual mass flywheel and didnt switch to a lightweight one which would cause A LOT more noise obviously, but not whining like you described.

 

researching some more I found someone saying maybe they forgot to grease the bearing, or that the grease hadn't spread to every area on the ***** yet. Also someone said the noise will get worse and worse. but I think mine is getting better possibly,,, I just have to drive it for a while tomorrow and see.
will post results tomorrow after a drive.

 

I got a full oem clutch kit, came with a little metal cylinder is that the pilot bushing? and a pivot ball thing, cover, and disc.

Yes oem dual mass as well, researched a lot and did not want the noise

the whining noise is identical to all the youtube videos of bad throwout bearings on 350z/g35

maybe the tech didn't put in the new parts like he should?

I asked for my parts back and low and behold in the clutch box it's only the cover and disc... so can't prove anything there :/

maybe he didn't grease the bearing?

Does is make sense it would start out noisy and lessen and be totally fine, or if there's noise at all in the beginning it will only be more problematic by not opening it back up

 

Here's exactly what I bought for the install, the throwout bearing and pivot ball were in there own little package and put in the clutch box

 

just went for one last drive for the night. This time it made the noise when letting off the clutch to reverse out the driveway.

don't think it made any noise on my drive.

when i pulled back in the garage i pressed the pedal many times and couldn't get it to make the noise.

so..... if this throwout bearing noise does just go away, is it okay?

or should I have it replaced now since it made noise to begin with?

just don't want whatever i do come back to bite me, I don't want it to start making noise like crazy a year from now.

would the grease theory be proving true by it becoming less and less ? does the bearing spin only when pressing on the pedal therefore to spread the grease you'd have to press the clutch pedal many times to get it spread to be silent?

or is the bearing always spinning and that theory makes no sense lol.

 

update:

today I started it up, was quiet, but then backing out the driveway if I moved the pedal back and fourth I could get it to make the loud bearing noise.

I drove it for a good hour, don't think I heard it during the drive, and when I pulled in the driveway I noticed with the clutch pedal left alone you can hear the faint cement truck sound that's probably normal with these cars, and then when I pressed the pedal down it got completely quiet.

I played around with it putting it into reverse, 1st, etc and couldn't get it to make the loud sound.

so... it's probably safe to say it will make loud noise when cold but not when hot....

Is it possible it's a transmission bearing? or shaft bearing? It sounds identical to every video of 350z/g35 throwout bearing noise you can listen to...

anyone able to voice their opinion on this?

should I get them to open it back up and replace the bearing no matter what because of all this?

 

no ideas?

 

update:

Yesterday morning I took the g back to nissan.

Stood out front talking to the tech that did the job and the service adviser that I've been working w/

I tell them I'm 100% sure it's a clutch related noise.

Tech asks me about the pilot bushing.

I said what? the little metal cylinder thing? he says yeah, I said it was in the box to replace.

You could see the look on his face he knew he had f'd up. ...

I said well isn't that normal to change that along with the entire clutch and flywheel?

So it ends up he didn't see the bearing in the clutch kit box so he didn't think to change it.

So I'm 100% that's what the noise was, the same old part lol.

A good lesson for that tech to learn.

I told them they can have the g all week if it's indoors on a lift safe.

I'll update when i get it back.

 

so my question now would be, does anyone know if running a bad pilot bushing for a 3 days would hurt any of the clutch system badly or is it fine?

 

update. just got off the phone w/ nissan, been done since yesterday. It was the pilot bushing.
The tech was so upset with himself, I feel bad for him, but he's using it as a great learning experience so that's good.

In conclusion. Even with a brand new flywheel and clutch kit, if the pilot bushing is bad you will still have that horrible throwout bearing noise.

*those out there that have great working clutches but have that noise, probably could get by only changing the throwout bearing and pilot bushing and save a lot of money.

 

update:

picked up the g35. As I drove away the first couple mins I heard high pitch whistle noise :/
It was gone after the engine warmed up.

So for the last few days every day I'll take the car for a drive to see if it persists.

It does, every day I start it up and the first couple mins has a high pitch whistle sound that gets louder and quieter driving faster or slower and then goes away when warm.
This noise is new and was never there before, it wasn't there before the new pilot bushing was put in.

Also I noticed going from 4th to 5th is screwed up there's a whole extra area to put the shifter now. Instead of smoothly shifting from 4th to 5th now it gets hung up in that area to the right. It Never did that before.

it doesn't seem to get hung up when going to 6th, but when you go to 5th now, you get stuck in that extra area and have to back track to put it into 5th. Very annoying.

Sunday evening I drop my car off, so it will be cold in morning at 7 when the start it up so they can listen for the whistle noise. Hopefully they know to start it up and drive right away to hear the whistle, if they let it warm up for a while and then drive the sound might now be there.

I'm starting to wish I had just taken this g to the infiniti dealership 2hrs away.

 

final update.

they fixed the shift plate so there's no weird extra area to get hung up in when shifting to 5th. even though they acted as if that plate was never touched during the previous work, but I am meticulous about my vehicle, I would have noticed the 5th gear problem before.

I left the car over the weekend at nissan so they could start it up cold and listen to the sound monday morning, they drove it while in the air on the lift so they could listen below for the noise, ends up it was coming from rear of trans, prob output shaft bearing.

They were going to charge me 118 dollars for checking it, I went in there and spoke to the guy in charge , told him, "if we hadn't had the first issue, and I heard a noise you'd checked it for free correct?"

he didn't charge me a dime. There's no way they were going to do that to me, I'm not a idiot.

I've only driven a few times since because of snow and salt, I refuse to take my prized toy in the salt and let it get rusty. I've had too many rusted out hondas previously in my life lol.

but the first drive I took the noise wasn't present

the guy said maybe be rough on the car and the bearing would seat or lube up. Which reminded me,,, over the weekend I had it when i had first got it back I did a few donuts when i saw the perfect smooth blacktop parking lot to do them in, hadn't done any in the car yet so it was perfect opportunity.

I wonder if doing that was the reason for the bearing whistle.

anyhow, all good now.

I swear my engine is louder and tics after all this but who knows. but i think it's in my head.

Very happy with the HR y pipe. I just installed a Z tube today.,, but too crappy out to take a spin.

I'm sure this thread will eventually do someone good.

 

Change ur trans fluid. What's happening is the fluid isn't flowing well cold. When it all warms up things get better. Either change it or go synthetic.