what are the characteristics of a cheap clutch??

[louisf]

My new clutch seems so much different than my old clutch. It seems a lot easier to push the pedal in(soft), because of that it is hard to tell when the clutch is starting to engage. I used to be able to chirp the tires if I wanted to but now it wont even if I dump the clutch it will not chirp the wheels. Could this be a pressure plate that just doesnt engage like it shoulld? I am not sure of the brand but it was from a chain store.

[louisf]

One other thing , when in neutral with my foot off pedal I get a noise from trans which goes away as soon as I press the clutch in.

[JimmyZ]

So we can help, tell us what model you have.

Assumming you have a 240Z..

Did you get a 240Z pressure plate? They suck! The reman ones suck even worse. The 280Z PP grips very well and is flatter than the 240 PP. (You did compare the sizes of this part and the last) I once bought a PP and didn't open the box until I got home. They had given me a 240 PP which I tried but removed after experiencing what you are.

Other things it could be..

Perhaps your clutch collar is on wrong. (One guy somehow installed his backwards) Perhaps the collar doesn't match the height of the PP. (Do a search on this site for clutch collar) You did bleed and adjust the slave cylinder and have the clutch master pushrod set at the right height right? Spray the flywheel AND pressure plate with brake parts cleaner or appropriate solvent before attaching clutch? (There is a protective oil coating on the PP) Was the clutch disc new and free of any oils etc? Was the flywheel worn or scored from a bad disc?

Just running my mental mouth.

2c

Jim

[JimmyZ]

One other thing , when in neutral with my foot off pedal I get a noise from trans which goes away as soon as I press the clutch in.

You got a post in before I could finish writing:)

That would usually be the release bearing going bad. (Sounds like a hum) You can drive a bad release bearing for a long while so don't panic. It's just an annoying sound.

You might have the release bearing riding on the pressure plate. It is supposed to ride slightly off of it when your foot is off the pedal. The pedal height and slave cylinder need to be adjusted for it to function right. (System bled properly too)

[Rockr69]

A bad throwout bearing wouldn't make noise in neutral. Those things only make noise if they're bad when you push in the clutch. My guess is you got the wrong PP for your collar and like JimmyZ said, the Tbearing is probably riding slighty on the PP allowing the clutch to slip. If you can't the tires to squeek even by dumping clutch it's slipping.

[e_racer1999]

ditto. most aftermarket clutches are for 280Z (i know that my centerforce II is a 280) and you have to use a 280Z clutch collar (slightly longer?) with it. the clutch/combo in my car right now is the same way. can't wait to get the CFII in

anyway, MSA has the clutch collar for less than $20.

[louisf]

sorry thought I had my sig added. It is a 77 280z with the 81 zx trans/dif swap. I did not do the work myself but wanted to. I had alot of slippage when it was put in so we went to the shorter through out collar. When we went to the shorter collar it came back with a longer slave rod. About 1.25 inches longer. WTF. Nothing else was changed out except the collar but he said he had to go with the longer one to get it right. That makes no sense but not knowing clutches I am left with taking his word. The master is a year old and the slave is new.

[JimmyZ]

Do you have a manual or the specs to adjust your pedal height and slave cylinder? I'd recheck the adjustment. Make sure that the fork is riding on the post properly.

Sounds like you have a 280Z PP which is good.

This leaves misadjustment as the most likely culprit.

Second place goes to A binding collar. Shaft collar rides on may not allow the collar to back off enough. (Too much crud) This is kind of unlikely.

Distant third possibility would be PP/flywheel/disc not cleaned before assembly.

[louisf]

I have the service manual so the slave is to spec. What about the cheap clutch pressure plate being at fault. The mechanic told me the softer pedal was do to the fingers on the PP. If thats the case could it be that the PP is a weak one and this is as good as it gets. The person who put the clutch in is experienced, just not with the Z so I am assuming everything was put in correctly.

[JimmyZ]

It is quite possible that you did get a poorly sprung or broken PP. The few reman Autozone 280Z PP's I've gone through over the years have always been OK. Nothing stellar but at least they grip good enough to bark the tires and lay rubber if need be.

Peer through the bellhousing and see if the release bearing is off of the PP. You'll need a flashlight (penlight ideal here)and yes it will be a pain. After you've identified the release bearing try looking at it while the motor is running and in neutral. If it's spinning with the car running try backing off the adjustment w/ the slave rod. Take whatever precautions are necessary to make sure that the car won't fall or roll on you of course:)

I'm very interested to see how this ends so keep us posted.

Maybe someone else could help me here. I'm wondering if all Z flywheels are the same as far as height relative to clutch components. I had my flywheel machined once and can't remember if it was stepped or flush. A detail such as this might cause some trouble with full engagement.

[louisf]

A new developments today. I could feel the travel of the pedal change over the last few days. Pedal would have to travel further before it starts to disengage and then engage as soon as the pedal starts to be released from the floor. After work it was tough to get into first if it was stopped. Reverse grinded like crazy. I got home put it on ramps and inspected the slave. It is so far out that the large boot was getting push off the trans housing. He had put the 1-1.5 inch longer rod on it and you can tell the fork is so much further back than it should be. I tried to adjust the pedal to see if that helped but it would not go into gear even if I adjusted it back to where it was earlier today. To make matters worse the shifter broke at the altered weld as I was trying to force it into gear. At this point I think it is installed wrong. Why else would you have to make a larger rod. Can you put a fork on wrong? A collar backwards. Im screwed.

[JimmyZ]

Minor setbacks.. No prob really. It happens to the best of us! Bummer to hear about the shift rod:( Make sure that they remove the plating before welding the next one. They should bevel the edges for good penetration and use TIG welding if U want a stronger part.

One fellow on the board did manage to install his collar backwards. If the assembly is a mushroom and the "head is your release bearing then the shroom should be "growing" FROM the tranny. The fattest part of the assembly will be furthest forward. Look and see.

It's possible your clutch master might have started leaking. It was a reman too right?? If things were misadjusted then the MC would be under pressure all the time. Look under the dash and see if some fluid is coming out of it. Check and see if there are any other fluid leaks in the clutch hydraulic system. Sometimes reman parts are rebuilt with sloppy tolerances and are therefore prone to limited life.

You'll get it and be better for it in the end.

Jim