# Are 200sx's know for bad crappy stock clutches???



## Partyboy25 (Jan 27, 2005)

Ok, I bought my 200sx in Dec. In January I replaced the clutch. And now the new one is slipping really bad... I need some help...What should I do???

By the way I have a 1996 SE with the Ga16de


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## pete2.0 (Sep 17, 2004)

how bad is it slipping ? Is this the 1st stick car you have or do u put extreme stress on it very often? To the best of my knowledge I think ur spozda give ur clutch anywhere from 500 - 1500 miles to be "broken in" before its good... Personally I got mine done @ Aamco and it ran me 850 buck ... it hurt my pockets pretty bad and I am thinking they sold me a refurbished clutch disc ... its slightly slipping now , about a year late but I am driving it nicer and if I do push it hard I dont act like a retard with my shifts ... lol , gotta make this one last
Later
-Pete-


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## Partyboy25 (Jan 27, 2005)

No, this isnt my first car with a stick, I use to have a tercel and I ran the piss out of it and never ad a problem with the clutch the entire time I had it. Then I got hit in a car wreck and used the money to buy my 200sx. I would have to admit that i do mess around sometimes racing ppl but not very often, just started doing it about 2 weeks ago.


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## I'm Slow (Dec 30, 2004)

what seams to be the problem w/ this clutch? Grinding in all gears? 5th grear pop out? You may have a bad TO bearing or a bent forkour you could be over cerntering? Mabye your gear oil is crap? Mabye you just drive it too hard? there are a number of things that can cause clutches to go bad ....
Ive got 99XXX on my stock clutch and i drop it hard and stuff all the time and she still doesnt miss a shift or slip at all.


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## Kindfiend (Oct 13, 2004)

One other thing I would like to add. Is the clutch chattering? If so, then I would look at the rear main seal. They do tend to go after awhile, I had mine replaced at 130,000 on my old car. If the disc gets oil on it, then it will chatter when it's engaged. Good luck!


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## Partyboy25 (Jan 27, 2005)

what do you mean by "chatter"??? I just had an oil leak fixed and I dont know if it was the front or rear seal but I can describe how they showed me it. They took off my passangers side tire and it was in there. They had to take all the belts off too and replace them. 

I have also noticed a new sound my car is making...it sound like grinding or something like that. It only happens in 1st 2nd and 3rd between 3 and 4 grand and I have to barely be on the gas.


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## Omega3k1 (Jan 6, 2005)

My dad as a 90 Toyota Pickup and the stock clutch on it lasted 196k miles, but we replaced the clutch in about november and its already starting to slip a bit, I think it was cause of 2 reasons, 1 he got a cheap NAPA clutch disk, and 2 we didnt resurface the flywheel when it probably could've used it.


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## Partyboy25 (Jan 27, 2005)

well, the ppl that put my new clutch in supposidly had the flywheel resurfaced and Im pretty sure my clutch kit was from advance auto


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## jer28 (Jan 20, 2003)

Partyboy25 said:


> well, the ppl that put my new clutch in supposidly had the flywheel resurfaced and Im pretty sure my clutch kit was from advance auto


Don't buy crap products and expect stock results. Compare the prices of a stock setup against the price for the kit that "garage" put in. There's a reason why you pay less than 100 dollars for a complete clutch kit. Sorry, but all you can do is baby it. Some shops I know of tell the customers that they resurface the flywheel but never do. I don't think the customer gets charged for it, but still. Ask to see a receipt for the resurface job.Thats why I do all my own work to avoid hackjobs like this one....


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## pete2.0 (Sep 17, 2004)

dumb question but how hard is it to put in a new clutch ? or even just drop the tranny to inspect the disc for abnormal wear ?
thanks
-Pete-


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## jer28 (Jan 20, 2003)

Its not especially hard, just time consuming because many components are involved. Our transmission is "particularly unique" in the way that 3 or 4 bolts come in through the engine side and are hard to see and get to. Its easy if you know they are there though.

I'd suggest having someone there that has done a fwd clutch before- not necessarily on this car but any fwd car will do. Basically the same components have to come off no matter what brand of fwd car it is. I had a particularly easy time with my gf's civic. Its a very nicely engineered setup.

To answer the last question: you have to remove the transmission to inspect the clutch disk for wear, so its not all that easy/quick.


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## I'm Slow (Dec 30, 2004)

Partyboy25 said:


> I have also noticed a new sound my car is making...it sound like grinding or something like that. It only happens in 1st 2nd and 3rd between 3 and 4 grand and I have to barely be on the gas.


You may have some trouble with your syncro's


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## AznBoiBryant (Dec 29, 2004)

Is the fwd sr20 manual tranny better then the ga16 tranny? Then would it be better to use the manual tranny from the fwd sr20 for the ga16? I mean it would be a direct bolt on right?


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

AznBoiBryant said:


> Is the fwd sr20 manual tranny better then the ga16 tranny? Then would it be better to use the manual tranny from the fwd sr20 for the ga16? I mean it would be a direct bolt on right?


two different trannies, two different motors... not compatible..


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## Kindfiend (Oct 13, 2004)

Partyboy25 said:


> what do you mean by "chatter"??? I just had an oil leak fixed and I dont know if it was the front or rear seal but I can describe how they showed me it. They took off my passangers side tire and it was in there. They had to take all the belts off too and replace them.
> 
> I have also noticed a new sound my car is making...it sound like grinding or something like that. It only happens in 1st 2nd and 3rd between 3 and 4 grand and I have to barely be on the gas.


Clutch chatter is when you are going into gear, lets say 1st, and the clutch skips as you let it out. Like it doesn't grab smooth. The seal you probably had replaced was the front seal, underneath the crankshaft pulley. Its a very common problem. 

I'm not sure the grinding sound has to do with the transmission. It could be your exhaust rattling at those particular RPM's, something along that line. Or like someone said earlier, the syncros could be wearing out.


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## WRXrob (Jun 4, 2003)

Partyboy25 said:


> Im pretty sure my clutch kit was from advance auto


There's your answer.

For major parts that require a lot of labor to install, I suggest avoiding the cheapest crap you can find at a chain auto parts store. Next time you replace the clutch (if ever), be sure to go genuine Nissan.


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## Chuck (Nov 19, 2003)

You probably didnt give it a good break in period.. I installed an OEM clutch, and its lasted me for a year and a half so far.


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## Jaxjags2100 (Jan 2, 2005)

I drive a 1997 200SX SE-R....Original clutch still installed and running great. I thought I had problems with it earlier this year and ordered a new OEM one. The shop guy took it all out and was like why are you replacing this? It was barely worn. Come to find out the clutch cable was what needed to be replaced. The car runs great now. Even better after I installed the new B&M short shifter.


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## Nissan200sx (Mar 23, 2004)

You can't beat ACT. Their stage 1 kit worked wonders for my ride.  No more slipping. In my opinion, worth the $300 for the kit.


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## Nismo GA16 (Mar 22, 2005)

Yes my clutch as well kinda sucks I have to get used to it... It seems to stick alot!! kinda hating it


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

Nismo GA16 said:


> Yes my clutch as well kinda sucks I have to get used to it... It seems to stick alot!! kinda hating it


My original clutch is like a few here, I describe it as weak. It will grab if you dump it fast, but if you slip it it will keep slipping even after your foot is off the pedal. So yes I think the GA16 OEM clutch is marginal. Mine has been like this for well over 20K so I don't think its worn out.


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## DanTheMan (Jan 12, 2003)

*Ga16 clutches*

I don't "like" the stock clutch but unless you nitro the thing it should hold the piddly amount of torque our cars make (even after bolt-ons). 
It sounds like your clutch is a little slippy (and they all get that way eventually), May even be the reason the car got sold/traded. 
Racing it won't help.
I have 86k mi on my 97 200sx se now and this is the 3rd clutch.
The first stocker went at 34k mi after much abuse and finally learning how to shift. (I think I burnt it when I dumped from 5th to 4th at 80mph to accellerate and it was just never the same, but I never heard grinding, just couldn't torque the hell out of it anymore)
Then I tried the ACT "stage1" kit. That might have gone 20k mi but boy was it fun!!! I could fly!! WHEEEEEE!!! right back to the clutch shop.
Almost had to see a knee docter because of the damn force required to depress it. (ACT not for STOP and GO traffic or you will need a knee replacement, sometimes my knee still hurts and it's all from the clutch! My knee is only 28 years old man to f-this unless all you wanna do is drag)
I put a new stock clutch back in after the act started to grind on shifts and had stretched the clutch cable out into string cheese!) That was about 75k mi so like over 11k mi ago and was sure to "break it in gently over 1000-1500 mi" I also took the oportunity to install the JWT flywheel and now she shifts like a hot knife in butter. The short-shifter didn't hurt either but was not an "easy install" like everyone says.
If you wanna drag and want an engine to take it, you can pull the ga out (tranny and all) and drop in an SR20DE with tranny, just be sure to do some reasearch because more modifying might be needed to wire-it (ecu) etc...
It seems like theese clutches are unforgiving, you make one bad shift and they just get worse and worse and then the grinding starts and it's back to nissan (do get it done there please).
I still can't figure why we have a manual clutch, hell, my borthers 90's geo has a hydraulic unit wtf? ACT should have to buy my knee replacement!!!
I think I'll sue. (and settle out of court of course)
My next car will have a CVR tranny!!!!


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## WRXrob (Jun 4, 2003)

DanTheMan said:


> unless you nitro the thing


nitro?? Makes me think of this.










:thumbup:


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

DanTheMan said:


> My next car will have a CVR tranny!!!!


Well thats an interesting topic for a new thread. 
Anyone following the Murano CVT's success or problems ? 
These have been around for a long, long time and longevity was always the issue. 
I remember looking at a DAF CVT so long ago I don't remember the year. 
(Volvo purchased DAF, all the Dutch VOlvo's are built at the DAF factories) 
The belts AND Pulleys don't last. With the advent of Steel belts the belt problem may now be behind the Pulleys wearing out. 
don't believe this "We been using them in Japan for 8 or 10 years" crap, that was on 660cc and 1.0 litre cars, not 3.5 litres and ~250 HP.


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## rasibe (Apr 6, 2005)

i kno that the one i used to own browke on me 3 times, the clutch fork that is.


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## 200SX_SER (Jan 29, 2005)

Ive heard u can use the clutch from a 2000+ Sentra SE 2.0 in the 200SX SE-R... is this true, and how much does it affect the shifting?


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## payk (May 5, 2004)

i have 211,000 on my stock clutch and it still is not slipping.. i have 98 se btw so the stock clutches do last

does the clutch fail immediately or will it give you signs that it is failing
i want to milk it for as long as it takes.


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## funkpacket (Feb 13, 2004)

from what i understand about nissan transmissions, they are only supposed to use gl-4 type mtf. Since most mechanics often dont know they earhole from another bodypart they may use gl-5 type fluid in lieu of the gl-4 that our transmissions require. Since gl-4 fluids are harder to come by, mechanics often use gl-5..."hey, its backwards compatible, right?" For the most part.....wrong. Unless its specifically engineered to handle gl-4 specs, most gl-5 fluid will wear on the yellow metal internals in the transmission = trashed tranny. Unless you know the mechanic or watched the installation, the first thing id do when getting back a car from tranny service is to drop the mtf out and put in some redline or royal purple gl-4. Im not sure that this helps, but its always something to consider.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

payk said:


> i have 211,000 on my stock clutch and it still is not slipping.. i have 98 se btw so the stock clutches do last
> 
> does the clutch fail immediately or will it give you signs that it is failing
> i want to milk it for as long as it takes.


As with most questions "it depends" 
All other clutch problems I have had have been on older cars. 
When the centre plate wears out they seem to be engineered to wear out on one side first. This makes the clutch slip more than normal, and is followed by almost a complete failure when the rivets hit the flywheel and pressure plate both. This takes say 1,000 miles or so 
If clutch is weak like my GXE's I have to assume the pressure plate is weak, and its been weak for 25,000 miles now. So long as I don't burn it up by letting it slip uncontrollably I think it will continue till the friction material is worn down to the rivets, probably prematurely as it has been slipping all this time.
good luck.....


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## viprdude (Jun 27, 2003)

no they arent. had my first 1.6 liter 200sx have stock clutch after 213,000 miles of highway driving and my new se-r had 109,000 on factory clutch in city driving but i fixed it right up with a 2001 sentra se clutch and pp. 15% increase in gripping power over stock.


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