07 Pathfinder Manual Gearbox, 2.5 Turbo Diesel engine. 2WD/Auto/4WD Hi/ 4WD Lo

I am posting here because this group seems a bit more active than the UK Pathfinder group I have found.

The manual clutch has always disengaged with the pedal higher than I would like and there has always been a rattle when going between some gears as the pedal is depressed, no rumble thoufgh when the pedal held down and it has not changed in several years so I don't think it is the thrust bearing. That's some background.

Last week I brought my sailing boat home and pushed it up our drive in Low Ratio, I have a front tow hitch. The drive is Tarmac but I use as straight an approach as possible to limit drive train wind up as everything is locked. Boat weighs 2380 Kgs about 2.6 US Tons

All seemed OK, very slight smell of clutch burning, as last year and (Much more) the year before. I wish they made Low Ratio even lower.

I also moved a light trailer which did involve some more turning of the steering wheel (Still in Low Ratio) , and parked up.

The following day I came to drive the car and it was weird. I drove a couple of miles then did some driving on a parking lot, into and Out of 4WD AUTO, HI and Lo. The knob and indicators on the dash all appeared to indicate as they should.

The sympton is that the engine revs but the car does not move as it should. My diagnosis is that the clutch is slipping very badly, I can now only move it on flat with the clutch slipping and to get it up the drive (Not overly steep) I have to use Lo ratio with the clutch slipping.
It is the same in all drive modes (2WD, 4 Auto, 4 Hi, 4 Lo)

I am assuming I am in for Clutch, plate, thrust bearing and almost certainly dual mass flywheel and have booked it in for such but, I do wonder whether anything else could give the same symptoms ? such as centre diff or transfer box?

Any thoughts gratefully received.

I did drop the underguard and all looked well externally, removing the rubber bung from the bell housing did release a smell of burning.

Out of interest has anyone changed a clutch on a Pathfinder on the drive?

I suspect Auto boxes are more common in the States.

Thanks for looking

David

You can get the Frontier Pickup Truck with a manual 6 speed and the VQ40 gas engine. We can't get the diesel here.

Sounds like you are on the right track. I would stick with OEM parts vs aftermarket.

t

Have you checked the operation of the clutch, either by cable or hydraulic actuation. You say the pedal is high, this could be that the play in the operation is poor, slack in the cable or air in the line.
I would suspect that you have cooked the clutch but checking the cheaper bits is worth a look.
Good luck with the fix.

No I haven't checked that but deterioration was instantaneous. I am sure clutch is cooked.

Symptoms definitely point to a worn out clutch. Not sure if they offer it where you live, but Nissan in North America offers a value line clutch kit made by Valeo, an OE supplier, for many of its vehicles. Exedy is another common brand used in Nissans with a good reputation. Hopefully the dual-mass flywheel can be reused; I do know they are VERY expensive!

Quoted repair cost £512 plus sales tax using a LUK Clutch (Part of the Schaefler group) about $780.

That's for clutch, cover, plate, thrust bearing, dual mass flywheel and fitting.

Out of interest has anyone done this themselves on a Pathfinder?

LUK are a british manufacturer, the place I am taking it (I believe) does a lot of transmission work.

LUK: http://www.luk.co.uk/content.luk.co.uk/ ... ompany.jsp

Since we don't have M/T Pathy's in the US, I went to RepairPal.com and priced out a clutch replacement for an 07 Xterra. Their estimate came to $1145-$1464 US (about 753-963 British Pounds), which include the full clutch kit and dual mass flywheel. I've heard of LUK clutches used on some European models here in the US, but I've never used them personally and I don't believe they are used much on Nissan models in the US. Over here, Exedy is probably the most common choice.

Yeah Rockauto carries LUK, Exidy and Valeo, price seems reasonable on LUK and Exidy, the Valeo was over $500US. The others are in the $250 range, include clutch plate, friction disc, throwout bearing etc.

Whats the labor like on one of these? Seems like a lot of disassembly.

I don't know. If it comes in at the price I have been quoted it can't be that much as I would have thought parts were half of that. You have got me worried now.

Well, keep in mind parts from Rockauto.com are going to be far less expensive than what a repair shop charges for the same parts to a customer. My friend owns a repair shop and he can't even get prices that cheap from the local parts stores and dealers even with his discount.
The labor is no different that any other clutch job, for the most part. I would imagine a good part of the exhaust system has to be removed out of the way. Battery disconnected, starter removed, driveshafts removed, transfer case end plugged off or fluids drained, linkages disconnected and harnesses unplugged. I'm not sure if it comes out with the transfer case on the R51 or if it can be removed in one piece. I do remember the R50's had to have the clutch release bearing disconnected before separating the trans from the engine. Support trans, remove crossmember, install trans jack, remove support, lower trans, remove all bolts in the bellhousing to the engine, lower and remove trans. Replace clutch assy. Reverse to install. It's probably something most DIY'ers wouldn't want to tackle on their own. It is a good deal of weight to handle, especially if coming out with the transfer case.

Got the vehicle recovered to the garage today. Mechanic said clutch on it was about a 4 hour job. We will see.

Hi Just thought I would post an update.

I got the vehicle recovered to a specialist transmission place who replaced Clutch plate, thrust bearing, cover and dual mass flywheel at quoted price of £512 plus 20% VAT (Sales Tax) They also serviced the vehicle and carried out the compulsory annual Ministry of Transport which was due.

Clutch was utterly barbecued, cover plate and DMF were probably still serviceable but I wanted them replaced.

Glad I didn't attempt it myself, Dual Mass Flywheel was heavy enough on its own. Garage charged me £300 for clutch parts which was about 20% more than I could have got them for which is fair enough. Labour charge was reasonable at about £280 for clutch etc. and service, so clutch 4 hours or less.

Thanks for the input folks. I have posted a link to this thread and the excellent descriptions of the workings of the drive train on a UK Nissan 4x4 owner's club. http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/foru ... y.php?f=89[/URL] It is for them I name the garage used. Leek Transmissions near Leek in Staffordshire UK. 01538 399662. No connection just a satisfied customer.

In the industry, we call that, "getting your money's worth out of it!"

smj999smj wrote:In the industry, we call that, "getting your money's worth out of it!"

It certainly will be if I manage to sell the cover plate and flywheel