Found metal at the bottom of my 5-speed. What next?

[siteunseen]

Mine was loose until I bled the slave cylinder once I had everything put back.  If you want to get a new rubber boot for the clutch fork they're still available from Nissan.  Part number 30542-E9000, $7.00 from my local dealership.

There is an adjustable rod at the top of the clutch pedal that will determine where the clutch engages.  You need to make it shorter with a worn clutch, I think??  I put in a new clutch and needed to get everything back to normal so I made that rod longer?  There's a page in the FSM that explains how and what to do, I can't remember now and I just did it about a week ago.  My brain is Z fried  but I have a 44 year old car that runs like new now.  

[Chickenman]

9 hours ago, KDMatt said:

Okay gang, I got the transmission back up into the car ( @Dave WM your prediction came true!) ... but before I put everything back together and install my new exhaust, I wanted to check with you guys on the subject of clutch engagement.

I took some pictures of where the slave cylinder is sitting, because I can still push the fork lever in with room to spare... and I'm not sure that's normal... The slave cylinder used to press right up against the fork lever... it was tight... Granted, before all of this, the clutch didn't start to grab until the pedal was near the very top of its travel, so maybe with it like this it'll be more toward the middle.

@Zed Head you were telling me a cautionary tale about engagement. Would you weigh in on this please? 

As much as I loathe the idea of taking it all down again, there's no sense in putting everything back together if it isn't going to work right.

With a new clutch assembly, the Clutch fork position will move towards the rear of the car when compared to a used clutch This is normal. Once you bleed the clutch, all should be fine. I'd bleed it and try it out first before yanking the tranny again.

[Chickenman]

Delete. Double Post

Edited May 17, 2016 by Chickenman

[Chickenman]

Glad you got it in. A proper transmission jack really makes a difference. Looks like the " strap method" was the major cause of the installation issue. Makes sense. As you push the transmission forwards, the straps would change their effective vertical length ( straps travel in an " Arc " ) and thus change the angle of the Transmission. A transmission jack doesn't do that, so alignment angle as you push forward remains constant.

[Chickenman]

Delete: Double Post again. Somethings jacked up with the Forum right now.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Chickenman

[Zed Head]

10 hours ago, KDMatt said:

 

@Zed Head you were telling me a cautionary tale about engagement. Would you weigh in on this please? 

As much as I loathe the idea of taking it all down again, there's no sense in putting everything back together if it isn't going to work right.

If you had the wrong TOB collar you could have problems, either getting the clutch to disengage or to engage fully.  Your slave piston starting pont doesn't look bad.  Bleeding the clutch is very easy and you can tell if it's working by turning the shaft by hand, with a helper on the pedal.

I took a measurement of my fork distance from a reference point, just for people to check if they run in to a clutch problem.  It tells you if the fork angle is right.  About 58 mm to the head of the bolt. I also have extra room in the slave cylinder to push the piston back like you're doing.

 

[EuroDat]

 

 

I posted the measurement for a slighty used (20,000km) clutch in post #17 in this thread. It should be around 110 - 120mm from the front of the bellhousing to the clutch fork. Yours being new might be a little more than 120mm. I not sure what you are measuring in your photo, but you are on the right track.

You will be able to push the rod into the slave cylinder at least a couple of centermeters when the clutcb is new.

Edited May 17, 2016 by EuroDat

[Zed Head]

Notice also in EuroDat's picture that the fork is centered in the hole, like yours.  I took my picture from above reaching down with my camera.  The car was drive-ready, in the garage.  

If I draw a mental arc in my mental image of Chas's pciture I get a mental 58 mm to the bolt head.  Yours is going to be fine, I can feel it.  Where's Dave's magical prediction?

[Dave WM]

interesting I did the same measurement (nut to fork) and only came up with 49mm, but the fork looks like a 90 to the housing. Will double check but 10mm seems like a big difference esp if the forks are in the same approx. position. I feel a mystery coming on, gotta think like Lt. Columbo and tie up some loose ends. I guess given the mechanical advantage the fork provides, even small variation is clutch plate thickness could cause sizable variation of the fork position (at rest, pedal NOT pressed down).

Edited May 17, 2016 by Dave WM

[KDMatt]

Holy replies batman! 

Okay, if it's normal for the fork to be able to move back into the transmission a bit with a new clutch then I won't worry too much about it.

@Zed Head and @EuroDat thank you for the picture references. I will compare notes with mine. 

Thanks for the votes of confidence everyone. If all looks good I'll finish buttoning it up tonight and try to take it for a spin tonight or tomorrow to see how she feels.

I hope you can bear with a young guy just being a bit paranoid and wanting to be absolutely certain he's done everything correctly before moving on to the next step.

[EuroDat]

There is also the problem with mix matchd parts. Aftermarket pressure plates could also play a roll.

The collars can also be a contributor. The 280Z 5 speed used a 25mm collar and othees had 24mm and 29mm. The 24mm you could grt away with, but the 29mm or the 16mm from the 71A transmission will not work.

The slave cylinder can accomodate the 24 and 25mm and any tolerances caused by aftrmarket pressure plates/resurfaced flywheels etc.

[LeonV]

I'd start it and run it through the gears before putting the exhaust on.