I have a 04 G35 6mt. The clutch started slipping about 3 weeks ago. It's so bad now I can hardly drive the car. I took it to the dealer and they said I need a new clutch and fly wheel. The car is still under warranty (55k miles). I really baby the clutch so I'm shocked it's going out already. I've read on here that a clutch going out this soon is not that abnormal, however most people seem to be able to get their clutch fixed under warranty. My question is how is this possible? the dealer told me a clutch is a wear and tear item (which it is).

Please help if anyone has tricks on how to get this done under warranty. Otherwise, is there a cheaper clutch and fly wheel I can purchase other than from the dealer?

Thanks

 

Many people get a new clutch when their tranny goes out. The dealer is not going to give you a new clutch. It is a wear item like tires.

 

It's tough. Safe to assume that you are the original owner of the vehical? Either way's problably cheaper to get a clutch at a local guy. (not a dealer)

 

Yes I am the original owner. I got a quote from another shop and it was the same as the dealer 22k for clutch and fly wheel. I was referred to this shop because of the quality work and reasonable prices LOL.

 

I hope you meant $2200 and not $22k. Either way, that's ridiculous. You can pick up a JWT flywheel and Exedy or ACT clutch on ebay for about $700 and just do it yourself. It's not as hard as it looks.

 

I went through something similar just recently on my second tranny swap under warranty. I paid for a new clutch the first time and it only had 10K on it when the tranny failed the second time, so I've lost faith in the OEM and got a Clutchmasters Stage 1 Clutch and a Fidanza Flywheel. I was quoted $1,200 for the OEM flywheel and around $350 for the OEM clutch. I got Clutchmasters for $380 and the Fidanza for about $475. I hear the JWT is a great choice too.

Just be aware that going aftermarket with a lightwieght flywheel might produce gear noise at low RPM's since they lack dampening like OEM flywheel. It was very annoying at first, but it seems to have lessened a little and/or I'm starting to get used to it. The nice part about the flywheel is that the engine is noticably free when revving and the new clutch has a much nicer/more normal lower engagement point and pedal feel.

Good luck!

 

^

Very true. The oem flywheel is very expensive. It's a dual mass unit made to dampen the tranny noise. All the aftermarket ones are a single pc. The good news is that they are about half the weight so you gain some power and save money.

 

soo is the JWT clutch the best u can get for the price???

 

Thanks for all of the advice. I definitely can't install this myslef. I can barely change my own oil. I'm looking at the Clutchmasters Stage 1 Clutch and a Fidanza Flywheel. Just how loud will the noise be? and is there an aftermarket flywheel that is less noisey?

 

One more quick question is there a physical store I can get these parts from instead of ordering online? I'm not driving my car anymore and I would like to get this fixed asap.

Thanks

 

My clutch went out on me when I had 14k on my car the dealer did nothing for me. It cost me about 1200 bucks. I now have 54000 with no other problems with it yet. If I do I will go aftermarket because our oem clutches are not designed to last very long.

 

Even with the parts interchangeability with 350Z's, it's unlikely that you'll find a store that has these parts in stock. Most places don't want to pay the overhead and keep in-store inventory to a minimum, so they'd just end up ordering it for you anyway. But you can check your local speed/tuner shop, who knows. I think you'll still get charged more than just buying the parts online yourself.

Mo, the JWT is the lightest flywheel that I know of for the VQ35, but 'best' means many things to many people. It also has a replaceable friction plate, so you don't have to replace the whole flywheel when your clutch blows out (not that you normally have to anyway). The closer to stock weight the flywheel is, the better it will be for daily driving, IMO. If you do a lot of road racing or even just heel-toeing on the streets, a lighter flywheel will allow you to match revs easier when downshifting. You do have to pay a bit more attention to what you're doing though, as it's very easy to push it past redline very quickly.

 

Our warranty on the clutch is 1 year/ 12K miles. I checked on Monday.

 

I was thinking of getting an ACT clutch kit for 650 and an ACT street light flywheel for 395. anythoughts? I have been told that the street light flywheel is lighter than factory but still pretty good for daily driving

 

The StreetLight is definitely better for daily driving than the ProLight, and that's an average price. But $650 for a clutch is outrageous, unless you're buying a full-on ceramic racing clutch, and then it's a steal. I don't know what other mods you've done to your G, but you can get a clutch that will handle up to 375 ft/lbs of torque (F1 Racing Stage 2, XTD Stage 2, etc.) for $250 +S&H. There's also a JWT flywheel/clutch combo on ebay for about $750 +S&H. Unless you wedded to ACT (and even then), you should be able to find a clutch for under $400. Personally, I'd never pay more for a clutch than the flywheel, but then I'm running NA and I don't drag my car.

Also, make sure that whatever you get, the clutch kit should come with an alignment tool, especially if you re-think doing it yourself (the high-end ACT kit I looked at didn't come with one). If you have Nissan/Infiniti replace your clutch, they'll probably have one, but your local independent mechanic might not, and that could make installation extremely difficult and end up taking a lot of time if one has to be ordered.