ZD30 CLUTCH

[dkne5]

Hiya all,
Heard that the zd30 clutch,pressure plate + flywheel are different to normal and cost heaps.If this is true whats a good aftermarket replacement so as i'm not forking out the dollars in another 70 000k's.Clutch is starting to shudder so i assume it won't last that much longer.

Thanks Dave.

[mikesmith]

i THINK they have a sort of spring loaded flywheel to take the harshness out of the clutch.

had one at work that had let go and all the grease out of the flywheel was splattered inside the bellhousing.

the clutch was shuddering also.

we just put a normal style flywheel on and no probs. the original flywheels are like $2500 from nissan and very expensive from wreckers also.

[gu4800]

Pretty sure they run a "dual mass flywheel". Don't know much about them, but I don't think they can be machined as sucj and need to be replaced with the clutch. Or they can flog out just like a clutch.

Here is some info on them:

A dual mass flywheel, or DMF, is made up of a primary and secondary flywheel with a series of torsion springs and cushions. There is a friction ring located between the inner and outer flywheel that allows the 2 flywheels to slip. This feature saves the transmission from damage when torque loads exceed the vehicle rating of the transmission. The friction ring can then wear out if excessive loads are applied.

The DMF also has a center support bearing that carries the load between the inner and the outer flywheel. The leading failure of the bearing is vibration caused by misalignment of the pressure plate and the DMF dowel pins during clutch replacement. Lastly, you have the damper springs. The # 1 cause of failure is engine run-ability problems. A poor running engine, if not attended to, will change the resonant frequency of the engine, causing the engine to run in an undesirable RPM range. When this happens, it overworks the damper springs, causing premature failure.

The function of the DMF is to isolate the torsion crankshaft spikes created by high compression ratios. If you can isolate the torsion spikes, you will eliminate the possibility of damage to the transmission gear teeth. The DMF isolates the frequency below the normal engine operating rpm's during startup and shutdown.

How do you diagnose a DMF during clutch replacement? You can first check the friction plate. This is done with the flywheel installed and the clutch removed. Partially install two pressure plate bolts into the flywheel 180 degrees from each other. Use a bar and try to rotate the outer portion of the flywheel in either direction. You should feel approximately 8-11 degrees of movement before the friction ring engages.

There have been some reports from GM and Ford of the DMF causing ill-running problems prior to 1994. You may experience erratic idle, or possibly no throttle response for five or more seconds when starting the vehicle.

If you do get a dual mass flywheel in for repair, it is not advised to replace with a single mass flywheel. This can cause drivetrain noise and possible transmission failure. Yes it will be cheaper, but the end result could be more costly for you and your customer.


I know someone who did a bit of research (few years back now) and they went with a Daikin (sp?) clutch. Things may have advanced since (as I said, a few years back) and there may be some other or better options nowdays.

Others will surely have already had to replace the clutch.

[manno74]

Quick one on this, is it the clutch slipping/shudering or is it the diff? I had a similar problem a while back - try draining all fluid from rear diff, flushing if required, and of course refilling with quality gear. At 70 000 k's, it's close enough to the major (80K), so is worth trying before you spend hundreds on a clutch... Worked for me and I could have sworn it was a clutch too.

[Darren Bell]

The three litre does run a duel mass fly wheel and yes they can be machined, all they do is load up the flywheel and weld small tabs to it to hold it and then machine it when there finished they remove the tabs and your done. The only thing is that nine times out of ten the rubber bushes are u/s and there not worth machineing, you can replace it with a solid flywheel and you wont realy notive much differance as the duel mass set up is for drive comfort and noise reduction and nothing more. You should spend the extra and fit a Dakin safari tuff clutch or an All terrain clutch from clutch industries.