Maelstrom

I had the slave go and blow the master about a year ago. I'm lucky to live near Z1 Motorsports and got their CSC elimination kit (looks very similar to ZSpeeds CMAK), and they installed this and a new Master for me. I haven't had any issues since!

Glenn2008

iTrader: (3)

^Did you have an OEM clutch?

Godlos

I had a oem clutch both times my csc went out. I don't think the clutch has anything to do with how the CSC is made of mainly plastic that cracks and leaks. It is put inside the transmission which makes it hard to work on. I think that's why zspeed engineered this system and why there is a market for it. Consider yourself lucky that it hasn't happened to you.

Glenn2008

iTrader: (3)

This is the Infiniti TSB http://www.infinitig37.com/TSB/ITB13-005a.pdf dealing with the clutch issue. At 69,960 miles, I notice that when the oil was cold in the tranny that there was some difficulty going into 5th gear. Once the oil warmed up, everything was fine. I took the car into the dealership and one of their tech's drove it the next morning, and confirmed the 5th gear issue. They replaced the transmission, under warranty. They also replaced the CSC and the tubing associated with the hydraulics. So yes, I have a new CSC, but as far as I know, that wasn't the problem. If you check the TSB, the problem that they list is the pedal going to the floor and not returning. They replaced the fluid with the high temperature fluid that is used in the GT-R. I'm going on a trip in the next couple of weeks, I'll have 25K on the car since the last clutch fluid change, so I'm going to drop by Infiniti for another service. The key seems to be not to let the fluid level go down and keep it serviced with the higher temp fluid.

Maelstrom

Yes, car was bone stock at the time.

Glenn2008

iTrader: (3)

I stopped by the dealership today and spoke with tech manager and one of his mechanics. The mechanic that I spoke with has been with Infiniti for 16 years. He said that he has never seen any cracking on a slave unit, what he has seen is seal failure. He recommends that anyone with a manual transmission, (1) if the haven't done it already to change out the clutch fluid with the GT-R R35 Special Brake Fluid. (2) Keep an eye on the CMC reservoir, make sure it's not lowering. He said that he would check at least every time that you change your oil, or are going on a long trip. (3) don't ride your clutch.


He said that the seal failure is caused by high temperatures from the exhaust around the plumbing on the outside of the transmission. The temperature boils the standard fluid and as temperatures rise, the seals become brittle and then leak. He has had a few cases where the pedal went to the floor and when he check the reservoir, the fluid was low. He refills the fluid and has the customer come back in a couple of weeks for a check to ensure that the level is holding. He said that he would recommend changing out the fluid every 30K.


Hope this helps some of the people who are concerned with this issue.

saywat?

iTrader: (3)

From my understanding gtr fluid is basically jus dot 4

sLADe781

iTrader: (1)

The issue that I have with the GTR fluid is that it's expensive (about $50 at my local dealership for the bottle) and doesn't last much longer than a standard dot 3 you pick up at your local parts store for $7. IE, when my CMC went out and I had to replace it, I flushed the system with GTR fluid and had about 2/3s of the bottle left. Within 6 or 7 months, the fluid was black again and I had to reflush the system but since the fluid was old, I threw out the remaining bottle. I only put at most 1k miles on the car since the GTR fluid went in so it's rather wasteful for the price.


I think the most important thing is what BB mentioned in other threads before where when the fluid starts getting dark, flush it with new fluid so the contaminants don't ruin the seals.

saywat?

iTrader: (3)

for my car i noticed the clutch fluid turning brown quickily after just doing it and i noticed its from the cmc and sludge in the hose between reservoir and cmc. did you replace urs or check to make sure its clean?

sLADe781

iTrader: (1)

Yes I replaced my CMC when it started acting up in 2015. I also cleaned up the black sludge buildup that sits in the CMC and flushed it multiple times in hopes of clearing everything out of the system.

Glenn2008

iTrader: (3)

The difference between the $7.00 bottle and the GTR fluid is the higher temperature before it boils. There are other high temp brake fluids out there, but again they are expensive. Less expensive, than a new CSC.


I believe that you have a problem with your CMC or CSC, if you only got 1K miles before it went black. Mine currently has 20K miles on the GT-R fluid and it's still clear.


/Q/ Did you clean and wipe out the CMC bowl when you changed your fluid? If not, this may be why the color changed so quickly. Otherwise, it's probably the heat causing it to darken.

Glenn2008

iTrader: (3)

^This might be of some help: Clutch Care


Another option, the one I'll probably use:

I asked Infiniti how much they charged for a fluid change. $270. Extremely high for how long it takes.

sLADe781

iTrader: (1)

Yep, cleaned and wiped up the sludge before bleeding. I gravity bled the system so I dunno...maybe by gravity bleeding I didn't get all the sludge in the system out? Seems unlikely but possible?



I sure hope not. The CMC was already replaced and if it goes I can do that myself but I do not know how to drop the tranny to get to the CSC so if that goes bad it'll really suck.

Glenn2008

iTrader: (3)

^I hope not either. As I mentioned, I had a complete tranny replacement at 70K miles. When they drop the tranny, Infiniti automatically replaces the CSC and also the outside tubing that goes to the CSC. I believe what happens is that "coke" forms in the pipe from the heat and the pressure exerted to engage causes the carbon inside the pipe to be released, thus the black sludge. As was mentioned before, BB, said the best thing is to keep the fluid clean. Maybe you'll have to change it more often and eventually, it will clear up.

AlvaroJCeballos

Thank you all for taking the time to respond to this thread. I purchased a stage 1 clutch kit with the CMAK kit for my g37s. I just hope my mechanic has no issues installing the kit.