Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Morning guys,

I have done some research about the gearbox synchro's and can't seem to find any info about individuals that have either replaced or rebuilt their gearboxes.

My car has just clocked 90,000km, i bought the car with 80,000 and it already had this grinding problem but silly me i didn't notice it while driving the car with the seller as i don't think i even got it up to 5th and we had music on... big no no.

Anyway, I have a bit of a grind going from 4th to 5th & from 6th back to 5th. It only happens if i change gears relatively fast, if i do a granny switch it doesn't happen. I know this is a problem that needs to be fixed before it gets worse but i really don't have the time to take the car anywhere (not that i'd trust anyone locally) so i thought i'd come here first and get some feedback.

Has anyone had any experience at all with gearbox issues or synchro's? if so, how difficult are they to replace/fix, how costly is the exercise?

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/410591-vq35de-gearbox-grind-s/
Share on other sites

  • Replies 44
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Yes. Common problem is common.

If you research a bit- it appears on 350zs commonly etc. Its the early boxes that flog out the synchros. Later model cars came with a CD009 box that had improved synchros. You can pick them up brand new in the US for $1700 plus shipping (which will obviously be a lot).

Or you can rebuild it. I don't know if you can retro fit the better synchros into the older box.

http://www.conceptzperformance.com/Cart/description.php?II=2887&Car_Type=NIS350&UID=20121001182501121.210.8.129

There isn't anything particularly special about these manual boxes, anyone with experience/knowledge of manual automotive transmissions should be able to fix it for you. As for parts, it is the same gearbox as the 350Z, so parts should be available from Nissan. If it is just 5th gear you are having issues with, you can probably just replace the 5th gear syncho cone and baulk ring, assuming you haven't damaged the edge of the gear.

The question is, should you replace anything else while the box is apart? possibly input bearing?? maybe search for other common issues?

Edited by sonicii

There isn't anything particularly special about these manual boxes, anyone with experience/knowledge of manual automotive transmissions should be able to fix it for you. As for parts, it is the same gearbox as the 350Z, so parts should be available from Nissan. If it is just 5th gear you are having issues with, you can probably just replace the 5th gear syncho cone and baulk ring, assuming you haven't damaged the edge of the gear.

The question is, should you replace anything else while the box is apart? possibly input bearing?? maybe search for other common issues?

Good to know that parts can be accessed reasonably easy then if they're the same. That's what i'm trying to determine, i know that my 3rd gear doesn't like it if i change into it anywhere over about 5500rpm quickly. But other than that the box is fine, although the shifting from 2nd back to 1st when the engines cold its a bit rough but i assume thats normal.

I'm just hoping i can find someone local that can have a squizz at it and see what needs to be done, what sort of a job is replacing a synchro and baulk ring as you say?

You rebuild the gearbox if it comes out, not just replace one or two components You also replace the clutch. This will save you service costs down the track- you'd be silly not to. Have to talk to a gearbox place and get a quote.

nuffin like a new box.... ifyaknowwhatimean.

Depends on cost.. a rebuild normally includes all synchos and baulk rings, and all bearings. My limited experince with Nissan transmission parts suggests you might be looking at more than a new transmission for all these parts and labour to fit them.

In the old days of holden 3sp manuals (with only 2 synchros), it was certainly worthwhile to do a full rebuild every time you cracked it open.

I had issues with 2nd gear synchro in a R31 skyline years ago which also damaged 2nd gear, I just had this gear and and synchros replaced and I was looking at around $1500 in parts. Didn't have any other items changed/repalced and never had any further issues with the tranmsission.

Certainly do a full rebuild if you can justify the cost of parts..

Also, transmission work can be labour intensive, so don't expect just 1-2 hours of labour even if you just replace the 5th gear synchro.

If it is going to cost that much (?) to rebuild, might be cheaper to just source another.

Exactly what i was thinking. Ahh, pain in the ass.

Be aware - you might just be buying someone elses problem - why was it removed?

With the fake Kms on these cars, nobody ever knows how much work its done. Maybe 30,000kms in Aust, and 150,000kms in Japan. How can you prove it...?

Exactly. Really annoyed with myself, i really don't think i changed into 5th at all when i drove it with the seller. It was nearly 8 months ago now i bought it so it's not like i can go back and complain.

Yeah it is a mystery. Have been contemplating selling, but i love it too much to let it go...

  • 3 weeks later...

Need to bring this alive again, how hard is a CD009 box to find? I'm thinking about saving a bit more cash and replacing the whole box + clutch. I will also be buying a clutch bracket that i was referred to by a mate that's meant to smoothen out 1st to 2nd gear changes.

Later model cars came with a CD009 box that had improved synchros. You can pick them up brand new in the US for $1700 plus shipping (which will obviously be a lot).

I am going to have to research and see if i can find a gearbox cheaper, if not then i'm going to have to fork out the money.

So the plan is to replace the above fluids when i get a chance, then see how much of a difference i have. I'm expecting there to be not a lot of change. If so, i will save some money and go ahead with a CD009 from ConceptZperformance, saw a few posts on a 350z forum saying they got it to Brisbane for around $2250 brand new delivered.

My next question is, when i go to swap the tranny over what else is needed to be replaced other than the clutch? I guess it will also be a good time for me to check if my car actually has a Exedy twin plate clutch as the previous owner said it did :P

  • 4 weeks later...

Thought i'd post an update.

Starting to lose 3rd gear, went for a spirited drive last night and got up to about 6000rpm in 2nd and couldn't get it into 3rd at all. 5th gear still grinds,

Sourced a CD009 transmission $1699 brand new, 5 hour labour job from my mechanic out the back of my work.

JWT clutch & flywheel combo - $775.

Just under $3000 installed for everything unless i decide i want to tackle the box change myself with a mate or 2. Purchasing the new box next week i have a mate in the states trying to find me a better price than $1699 brand new he said he bought his for $1200 brand new so hopefully i can save a bit more money there.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • This is the territory of the "Stage 1/2/3 Golf GTI/R" or otherwise off the shelf tune with (relative to before) minor mods. It's easier now. Downpipe and Tune and boom, big increases. Stage 1 OEM+ is where it's at. This is where the niche evolved into and it's really easy to see why. It's rare to even NEED to consider changing turbos or going to aftermarket ECU's or building bottom ends for more power. Stage 1-2-3 will get you a LONG WAY. Civic Type R turbo GR Yaris/Corolla Anything with B58 (MKV Supra/x40i) Anything BMW in General Anything Audi in General Any turbo AMG RenaultSport Turbo offerings Korean Elantra N/I30N Ecoboost Mustangs Focus RS? List goes on. I would argue in the future it won't even need to go on... M3P is pretty rapid out of the box...
    • There is a way, but it's not with the same cars. You need to find the same vintage of car, that we had. Realistically, that was an affordable car with aftermarket parts around. So what people need to find is a car that had a decent base in its day, and can be modified. They're looking for a car year make of 2010 to 2015 really... Aus could have done it if Holden didn't fold as V8 commodores were cheap, and if Ford didn't get expensive thanks to COVID, then you could cheaply play with FG Barras. Realistically, those are just a bit heavier, four door skylines. I'm sure the US and UK have similar cars they could find.
    • Haha I do that.. thats when it chirps..The bit point for me is almost non-existent. Otherwise I stall it. But yes, in terms of performance, the clutch is solid af.
    • Greg speaks wisdom. These dirty old Datsuns are only value when they are cheap. When they are not cheap, there is no value. Sounds contradictory, but it's true. We are now 20 years past the hey day of modifying cheap 90s JDM cars for small amounts of money. This is a different world. If you are rich and can afford not to care about what is effectively wasting money on an old Datto shitter, then I have no reason to argue against it. But if you are wanting to experience what we all experienced back in 2005 (and I bought my car last century!) then there is no way to do it.
    • Short answer: No. Medium answer: No, because you still need to conjure the things out of thin air to bolt them to a NA to make it a NA+T. Long Answer: No - The things you need to conjure - meaning a turbo, intercooling, manifolds, exhaust, intake/manifold/piping, clutch, injectors, fuel pump, AFM (?), ECU + Wiring (woo, N/A loom fun) have to come from somewhere. You could have many scavenged these things from an OEM car that someone had upgraded from and use some of these. This will be cost prohibitive now, especially so in the USA. You'd probably pay the same for newer, upgraded components that are better than old OEM stuff from 25-30 years ago. None of these big ticket items are re-usable for the N/A car. Why not buy new and upgrade while you're there? The only real consideration is turbo and fuel sizing and determining whether you want to stay within the bounds of the OEM engine or get into rebuild territory. These limits ARE lower with a N/A motor and especially N/A gearbox at the starting point. And if you're gonna upgrade those then you may as well consider having them built to begin with. Because everyone here knows you're never far from that next engine rebuild once you start making the power you want... The cars you see on the internet and SAU etc have been built over decades. If you're really clued in... you would sell your US car to somebody for what you paid for it. You would then scour AU JDM pages or SAU and buy a car like Dose's on this forum with your powerful American Dollar. This will save you so much money in the long term. Importing it could be tricky. Or it might not because USA. I have long said the only reason 90's Japanese stuff took off was because a) Japanese people had Japanese cars so that is what they used b) Australians could import these cars to Australia with very minimal changes and use them on the road here c) Neither country had well-priced access to US or EU Sports Cars. I don't believe the JDM scene would have taken off in Australia at all if we had EU priced EU BMW M offerings, or more especially the AUS V8 Scene would never have existed if we had the multitude of US cars like Camaros, Mustangs, Corvettes at the prices you folks do. After all - Do the math. I would say put a V8 in your R34 and that's the smart way forward. It is. I did it. I know this from my own experience. But at that point there's no reason to simply not buy a C5 or C6? It would be simpler and easier and cheaper and bette-
×
×
  • Create New...