The TBW undertray is on the car. That was... well, fun I mean, in hindsight it was fun because I was happy with the way it turned out, irrespective of issues that came up. But it's a gorgeous day today, mid-70's, light breeze, sunny. Absolutely beautiful day. So I did this outdoors at the back of the driveway.

I had two OEM corner bolts that were deeply rusted together, clip to bolt. For those corners, I had to cut out the old OEM tray. First time in 9 years that I had to do something like that with the tray. Ended up damaging those two areas, so then I had to come up with a new way to configure the replacement clips. Took a bit to come up with a solution, (hello box cutter), but I got it figured out well enough. I also used a few old bolts that were longer than the ones which came with the tray; same thread but longer with larger washers. That was helpful to have in 3 of the connection points. Particularly the back bolt that goes through the oil access panel.

Anyway, buttoned up and tight, big cosmetic improvement over the OEM tray, which has really seen better times.

I also changed the oil, and installed a Fumoto oil drain valve. Next year's oil change is going to be a breeze!

 

Awesome. I need to remember to install my valve next time I do oil, I keep forgetting. Hardest part of the tray was definitely addressing the OEM damaged bits for me as well. Did you go silver or black?

 

How much ground clearance was lost by putting on the TBW undertray? I have the Z-Speed and I noticed I lost quite a bit of ground clearance in the front.

I used to be able to slip my jack under the front with ease. With the Z-Speed, not so much. At least I am at stock height so that helps.

 

Not sure if rwd is diff from awd because I know watching some vids, rwd didnt seem to have an oem oil access door and had a slightly different shape than mine. That being said, in my case with awd, I didnt lose any clearance to the ground, but the shape of the tray definitely blocks the jack from going in as far, so I drive up onto 2 2x8s before jacking the car up. Curious to see what Rochester says.

 

It never occurred to me to notice if the ground clearance was compromised, but I would like to think I'd notice that, so... I'm going to say no, it wasn't. In fact, the tray is entirely flush against the crossmember. So that would be the lowest point, and comparing that to the OEM plastic tray, I have to conclude there's more clearance with the TBW than the OEM tray..

On a related note, the engine itself is lowered about a half-inch because of the Z1 motor mounts, and I didn't have any issues with that during the tray install.

To see how feasible or easy it would be to change the oil and filter next year, I took off the oil access panel and it all looks good. Particularly with the Fumoto drain valve. It's entirely possible I'll never remove that tray for the remainder of time that I own the car. Then again, front end suspension parts are getting pretty rusty. I almost feel like, if I take the car to a shop for front end work, I'll be removing the tray myself beforehand and hanging on to it while the car is getting worked on. IDK.

I'm curious to see what the next 6 months does to it. Winter creeps into the car no matter how little I drive it.

 

I too feel as if I gained ground clearance under the car after install. On install, I also had a couple rusty screws that broke off inside. I had to completely drill out a few, and was able to save a couple and get those re-threaded. With those minor changes and bolts also not all the same size for my undertray, I will probably do the same as you and remove before bringing to shop for any shop work. Glad you like the tray and the oil valve!

 

I'm going to drop a link to this video. 38 minutes, but well worth the time. Feel like I understand this a whole lot better.

Not that I'm pursuing a Clutch/FW upgrade, but if I were, this is all part of the research.
And not that I'm pursuing a CSC elimination, but if I were, there's a lot more here than a simple bolt-on.
And not that I would ever DIY any of this... because feet of clay. But it's good to learn about this stuff.

This guy Carizon put together a great step-by-step, with excellent commentary and a fantastic filming perspective on the project.

 

I need to watch this video. I have always tried to picture how the CSC eliminator works without actually seeing the parts.

 

I actually want to step through it a second time, and take notes. More and more lately I find myself thinking about a stage 1 Clutch/FW kit. And if that happens, the CSC replacement would happen too.

Genuinely not enticed with the more aggressive options, just the stage one baby steps. And I don't think it's the clutch upgrade that's got my attention, it's the idea of going with a LW flywheel... 21 lbs replacing the 31 lb OEM flywheel.

Part & parcel to all that, I'm also thinking of putting the OEM transmission mount back in, which is a weird 360° mod, LOL.

 

You mentioned that earlier about the transmission mount. I don't think you will notice much difference in NVH with your exhaust, but maybe the drivetrain will still feel ok since you have motor mounts and the rear differential brace. I bet it revs A LOT quicker with that flywheel. I am eyeing the same mods if I keep my car long enough to need a clutch.

 

Watched the video... I have comments.

1. I don't think that was an OEM clutch disc he removed, it had a sprung hub. Unless the 370Z doesn't use a dual-mass flywheel like the G - which makes the argument that you don't physically need one, it's just an NVH thing for Infiniti.
2. Doesn't someone make a roller bearing pilot bearing? The bronze sleeve bearings aren't great at higher RPMs.
3. Look on amazon for a collet puller rather than the 2-arm pilot puller. Works without modification like a champ.
4. GAH - don't hit the darn Pilot bearing with a hammer - you'll peen the edge. They make tools to do that.

Last - the amount of compromise for installing the clutch slave is beyond my comfort level (reliability not mechanical ability). There's a lot of stress in compression on that threaded rod and rod end. I thought the slave would mount much nearer the fork, like in most older transmissions that used forks.

I'd rather have a beefier CSC.

 

Pilot bearing seems pretty basic to me too, but I know absolutely nothing. Similarly, I also winced when he smacked the bearing with a hammer.

You know, I watched a bunch of his other videos, and trolled around his feed. Nice guy, very nerdy, and like the opposite of smug. However, he's also not a mechanic, just a strong hobby interest in his own car, with a limited (although not cheap) budget for mods. In other words, take it all in with a grain of salt.

 

Oh he's not a bad wrench by any means. And none of us (that I know of) are professional mechanic-movie makers. I'm sure I've done worse on cars.

I'm still wondering now if the VQ in the 370 doesn't have a dual mass flywheel. The one he removed didn't appear to be. Collet puller is more a note to future watchers - they make a better tool for that, and it's only about $40 if you can't borrow one. My dislike of the CMAK is now based on the design of the slave cylinder (I suppose there's a more woke term for that part now, but I don't know what it is). Before I thought it was just too expensive for the proposed reliability upgrade - still have a throw-out bearing and a hydraulic that can fail and leave you calling an Uber.

Edited to add: Found the bearing - https://conceptzperformance.com/niss...00_p_28335.php but apparently it's not long term reliable. Now I wonder if the Mazda rotary engine (and Miata engine) roller bearing pilots were sealed bearings.

 

Nismo pilot bushing has a significantly shorter life span and is not recommended for those that don't take their transmissions out too often. The CMAK feels great in my car and gives me a piece of mind knowing that I can simply get under the car and replace it at any time if need be.

 

Is it becuase of material? is there another recommended brand for the pilot bushing?