I just passed the break in mileage on my 05 6MT, and it seems like the clutch has a very strange feel to it. First, under normal driving it catches very high. Second, there seems to be some degree of risistance / scratchiness when shifting between gears regardless of RPM. Finally, at higher RPM's (4,000 +), when I depress the clutch it seems to make a chattering sound. My previous car was a 350Z and I experienced none of these characteristics on that car. Is this normal? Does it have something to do with the dual-mass fly-wheel? Any information would be helpful.

 

Those all sound like common complaints/observations. You can adjust where the pedal catches closer to the floor. It's best to do a search for that so you can see pics as well.

 

Highly recommend that fork adjustment on the clutch pedal. FYI on my 05 it was only 1 turn... look up the threads though for full details. Search for Fresh Alloy or FA... that was where it was pioneered so to speak. It makes a world of difference!

<FLAME SUIT ON> those of you of that wish to debate the merits of the lifespan of a clutch due to this process, go away please. I've seen enough of that on all the other threads <SUIT OFF>

Thanks.

 

OOps... sorry, one more thing. That scratchiness you describe, I'd describe it as the clutch plate sticking to the clutch when it should be sliding together into grip. Good clutch, slides together and coefficient of friction is increasing in a linear fashion. This one, grabs, lets go, grabs lets go, over and over until the plate grabs and holds. The result is a shaky feeling, noise from the drivetrain and an honest to goodness lousy premium car experience. YOU LISTENING INFINITI!?

 

Be wary of the clutch adjustment. I adjusted my clutch based on the threads I read here at G35driver. I loved the adjustment, the car was more enjoyable to drive, the clutch engaged closer to the floor, everything was driving nirvana. Then after a few months, I started noticing that the clutch would slip when I accelarated hard through the gears while merging on to the freeways of LA. I mentioned this to the dealer when I took the car in for servicing, they checked it out and I just had my master cylinder, clutch assembly and flywheel assembly replaced by Infiniti. They agreed to fix it all under warranty. When I called to see if my car was ready, the service consultant told me that the clutch problem was caused by a failure in the clutch master cylinder and that the master cylinder was adjusted out of infiniti specifications. The failure of the master cylinder caused the clutch disc and plate to burn and created "hot spots" on the flywheel assembly. I, of course , played ignorant...."Who could of done that!?" "How could that have happened?" "Could it have been installed that way at the factory?" yadda yadda yadda. The dealership could have easily accused me of making the adjustment and claim that the warranty was violated, the repair would have cost me $2500, but they didn't.

So to all of you who have made the adjustment, keep an eye on your clutch, mine most likely failed because of the adjustment.

Sorry PEET, the clutch wear happened and more!

 

All - thanks for all the information. I'm just surprised how different the feel of the G35 transmission is compared to the 350Z. Especially since I though that they were supposed to be the same. By the way, my G35 feels like it pulls a lot harder than the Z ever did.

Thanks again!

 

thanks for the 411 tony. I only went one turn around the fun screw. The engagement went down about one inch, and it feels like I am getting full compression on the master cylinder. Only time will tell. I think I'm saving more of my clutch this way, because the jerkiness of the high engagement was causing me to get whiplash and was destroing the car.

P

 

Wow . . . Thank you for the info. I was about to make that adjustment myself when I heard all the positive feedback. Now, I'm not so sure.

 

That problem was definately caused by the clutch adjustment.

By moving the catch point you are placing pressure on the master cylinder-whether or not anyone wants to believe it.

 

Would that ever happen without an adjustment to the clutch??

 

hmm... i came from bmw330i i do know g is faster but the power of G is so smooth i cant feel any pull at all, smooth power is a good thing but does make you feel that car is slow tho...

 

You are correct, power delivery from the G is very smooth although the 330 is also very smooth. My statement is purely based on my subjective perception with no real factual basis. It just seems like when I'm really running it through the gears that it accelerates stronger, especially from 30mph up. The Z felt stronger off the start though.

 

I hated that jerkiness, I've been driving MT's for years and the G clutch made me feel like a novice. I've compensated by getting on the gas a microsecond earlier. It's a conscious thought for me to do that but its becoming habit now and its working.

 

With the clutch mod, just make sure that when the clutch pedal is returned there should be a play in the pedal. I adjusted it too far and master cylinder wouldn't return far enough, which would put constant pressure on the clutch. As long as the master cylinder returns 100%, then the clutch is being released 100% also. I went 3 turns, and then had to back off 1 turn. The clutch pedal now has about 1/8 inch play before the master cylinder begins to push in. Also, if you go too far, the return spring on the pedal actually won't push the pedal far enough back, causing even more pressure to be applied to the master cylinder. Hope this helps.