Episode 56 2003 Nissan Frontier 2.4L Clutch replacement

Replacing the clutch and pressure plate on a 03 frontier 2.4l KA24DE on a FS5W71-C transmission.

[@kristianhale4972]

You don’t even know how helpful this video was! Thank you

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

i do, thats why i make these videos to help others, !

[@carsonregister864]

thank you guy from video uploaded 4 years ago, also yours looks exactly like mine!

[@tundruu]

This helped a lot when I did the same job last weekend on my '04 Frontier. Thanks.

[@fishfire_2999]

Of you got it done in 1 weekend you did well ,not looking forward to it .

[@joshrennow1616]

thank you .Chris Edwards. for the video .

[@UAPfpv_]

Good job. Nice truck. Now it's my turn on my 2001 lowered frontier... yay. Well, I bought the napa kit. It has the double spring retainers and metal rivets(good), but plastic ring (bad) in the center. Seems upper mid quality. It'll be fine I think though. Here I go 👍

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

yeah, thats what i thought too. it WILL work, hopefully for a long long time. im still good, those spring retainers are the key, so they dont wobble out.

[@Pbs-xs4xk]

Thank you Chris

[@fishfire_2999]

Just bought a 02 today drive it home 30 mi clutch was great ,got home jumped in run to store sitting at a light clutch goes out was able to get in gear limp it home

[@Music-Man-Nick]

I bought snapring pliers at Wal Mart. Looks like I'll have to use them for this job.

[@trae5002]

CHRIS Thank you.... I have a 2002 nissan frontier, replacing throwout bearing ordered Exedy stage 1 clutch kit, replacing it today.

[@steverood]

Great video. Thanks. Two things I noticed... 1. Apparently you live in a cemetery. 2. You drive around barefoot. Haha. Thanks again.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

I live next to a cemetery yes

[@ssalamri7302]

I have 156k miles on my clutch no problems and it is the original clutch what I do is never pull in 2 gear only in 1 gear if you do that your clutch well last above 300k

[@Pbs-xs4xk]

What name brand clutch did you upgrade to? I dont want a junk auto zone clutch.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

xeedy

[@SleepR_John]

How’s the exedy clutch holding up? Debating on getting the same for my truck

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Still going strong! make sure you get a good throwout bearing while your in there. Timkin are the best as that was what factory used. more expensive by a few bucks, but sure beats dropping the transmission again! (i had to)

[@andygarcia9975]

What did you use to sand inside throw out herring to get ride of sharp edge

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

a dremel with a grinder bit. worked like a charm.

[@CoolBreeze0432]

Hey Chris I have a 2004 frontier Took all the bolts from the transmission housing Everything is took off And still the transmission will not drop I have been shaking the heck out of it trying to get it loose is there anything else I need to do

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

try jacking up the crank pully a tad with a block of wood underneath, the trans is not in perfect straight line, you might be bumping the firewall, give it a little lift to get a slight angle

[@luckyladytt06]

Was there any smell coming off the engine when after you replaced the clutch? Doesn’t smell like burnt tire, oil or coolant.. but rather kind of chemical like..? Just curious

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

for a bit, everything I touched stunk, burning off the oils from my hands touching the exhaust, crap like that, the clutch didn't stink at all. as I cleaned the flywheel with brake parts cleaner before assembly to get all my fingerprints off. why does yours stink ?

[@fishfire_2999]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration What tf ? Lmao

[@giuliom8520]

Great video! Thank you! You should wear gloves and keep that toxic stuff off of you.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

i do sometimes, but cant "feel" the bolts and stuff as well.

[@vidalrichardson9337]

how did you remove the two bell housing bolts on the top... I'm thinking you drop the transmission down to see them but while it was in the truck I can't see them from under the truck and can't reach them from the top either

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

long extention from underneath. once the driveshaft and crossmember are out you can see the top as it tilts the entire thing downward,. remember to have a jack underneath to support it.

[@vidalrichardson9337]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration I have removed everything including that removable crossbar that supports the transmission... to the point that when I lower my Transmission jack the weight of the transmission pulls the whole engine down at an angle . to clarify I can get to all the bolts except for that top center bolt. I have tried to pull the transmission down more but there is a permanent bar that will not let it go down any more. Since yours is the same as mine I was trying to figure out how you could see the bolt when you let your transmission down and how you manage to avoid that permanent bar so you could get it down far enough to reach that center bolt. I'm to the point I am trying to go from the top of the engine to see if I can get to it

[@vidalrichardson9337]

I figured it out you need a u-joint on the end (a stiff one and not a lose one is highly recommended) and you need to come from the side. 12 to 14 inches of an extension was all I needed. Basically when you can see the bolt you have to stick the extension with the u- joint on the 14mm socket and kind of play around until you feel it catch and then you have to use elbow grease to get it to break... when I put it back I used a 1/4 inch extension and a 14mm bit (much small and easier to fit) to put it back and start tightening it and got it snug then I came back with a 3/8 so I could torque it to the correct amount

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@vidalrichardson9337 also remember when you drop the trans, theres the crank position sensor on the top, if you forgot to unplug it

[@Blackmambaaa69]

I have a 2004 Nissan Xterra, do I have to remove the exhaust or catalytic converter in order to get the transmission down? Thank you

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Not at all

[@yeaaaaaaboiii]

What’s the best way to take off the top bell housing bolts

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Long extension and underneath w a swivel.

[@mistone9784]

Got the new cluch on do you have to tourque the cluch plate and if you did what's the specs cant find it on line thanks travis

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

i have a chilton repair manual for the truck, the pressure plate torque spec is 16, then 22ft lbs, two stages, first round 16 second round 22

[@mistone9784]

Thanks man got every thing set and ready to go

[@okbro7449]

Ok. So what if a shop took off the housing that the shifter lever lives in instead of just removing the snap ring and mangled the associated gasket? Is there a good website for transmission gaskets for these that you use?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

The dealer or any transmission shop or even ebay have that gasket

[@okbro7449]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration I'm having zero luck online. Maybe il hit up a dealer

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Theres always permatex

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@okbro7449 heres a complete kit, but your looking for a FS5W71C shifter gasket i can find them all day long on google shopping,

[@porceder]

Who put the cheap - junk clutch in? Basic eyeball inspection indicates it's not sufficient quality constructed part to waste time installing. Simple compare of old part removed to new part would show that. Cheap yes, but is your time, safety & inconvenience worth it? Thanks for demonstrating what happens when using substandard parts. Obviously very bad steel metallurgy. Also, pilot bearing looked bad which could lead to noisy gear change & excess pressure on slave/master cylinder + clutch fork - possible early failure.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Yes indeed. Cheap parts were me! Hence my new replacement. New bearings and even a new clutch fork retainer slider thing. And new clutch masters later on and slave cyl. Never changed the pilot bearing

[@mariobeastable]

How similar is this process for a 2004 Nissan Frontier 3.3L VG33E?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

you probably have to move the exhaust for the V6, but a FS5w71C is a FS5W71C, all clutch principles are the same regardless of vehicle, just removing the parts may be slightly different depending on Model

[@zeeck9396]

I have an 01 frontier. I hate how hard the GL4 oil is to find and how expensive it is. I got some RED LINE 75W 90 at a great price (under $10 a quart). but lately I am paying closer to $15 per quart for amsoil 75 W 90 synthetic transmission fluild. I managed to get 330K miles out of the engine before the head gasket blew. very dependable vehicle.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

i ended up getting 4 quarts at nissan GL4 for 10$ a quart, ouch, but hey, it works the best, i use SAO30 or GL4, in the winter i use SAE30, in the summer im running GL4 as the SAE30 can get hot sometimes on long long long drives.

[@zeeck9396]

that is a great price (I would of thought closer to $15 per quart). may I ask where you bought it at?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@zeeck9396 at the nissan dealer parts counter.

[@brendan2599]

Do you know the model number of the Exedy clutch?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

no, it was just a general ebay search

[@awong160]

I swapped out my transmission oil a few months ago and now I think it's making some weird noises in 1st gear while rolling from a stop. Maybe it could be the culprit? The shop manual recomends 75W-85. Will drain and hope for the best. If not, looks like I may consider swapping the trans with a used one.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Hope you didn’t use a gl5 based Pil it eats all the brass stuff up instantly

[@awong160]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration I am pretty sure I did. Haha darn it! How's your Frontier holding up? Have you retired it yet?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Nope still going 248000? Or so. Just put a new alternator belt on. Other than that shes been running fine. Ticks like a bunch of monkeys beating on it w wrenches due to a lifter tick. But heck with it

[@awong160]

Do you have a link to the OEM replacement clutch kit you ordered?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Woo that was a few years back i just got a xeedy? Off ebay

[@ssalamri7302]

also as my man talks About i use w90 gear oil GL4 it is good and smooth in hot climate not so much in cold weather

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

All i run now is the gl4

[@ssalamri7302]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration man my friend use Gl5 toyota oil and I told him you well destroyed your transmission but he never lessened but I well send him this video and I want to say keep up the good work 👍

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Wow get that gl5 out of there even if you ran sae30. Just get that out it will eat all the brass within 3000 miles then your gears mainly 5th will start to whine. If that happens your done shortly after

[@ssalamri7302]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration I have sand the video to my friend online group and I want to ask you about the transmission is it 5w71c? because in Saudi arabia we have different parts for example your body style never sold in Saudi we only have regular cab and dull cap

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Fs5w71c. Standard nissan 5 speed

[@stonebruze1499]

I'm getting dizzy the camera moving too much

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Well buckle up its hard to film upside down at times.

[@taylorcampbel9639]

Are these worth buying? I found a 98 frontier 4x4 needs a transmission.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

It depends on what you want it for, i love my truck and hate it too, still going strong after 240,000 miles. Make sure you only use gl4 or sae40 motor oil for the trans fluid...gl5 will murder it in a month

[@taylorcampbel9639]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration i just need it for work i travel about 30 miles a day 4 days a week.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@taylorcampbel9639 then it would be fine. parts are cheap, trans is a FRS71C, about 800 bucks i got mine on ebay! lol works fine. just use a quality clutch and pressure plate, none of that autozone junk

[@chrisshuck5402]

Mine has 307K on it and the engine still runs fine. Transmission needs to replaced because I have a problem with 1st and 2nd but have spent less than $500 in parts on my truck in 12 years.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

it appears that my previous videos of the clutch slave and master cylinder replacements were all for nothing. while im glad i did them anyway as they were old. this was the main problem of them all.

[@goldsilverandiamonds]

How's the clutch holding up?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@goldsilverandiamonds great, 4000 miles on it since and all good again, make sure you get a quality pressure plate as the diaphram spring is the key to a good clutch setup, and crappy pressure plates dont last long , this is what caused my issue, not the clutch master cyl, but all good!

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@goldsilverandiamonds been a year and great!

[@johngill5925]

So if you use gear oil that could be the whole problem because I have a 2004 Nissan frontier XE two wheel drive

[@nathanielbeam831]

Who was the manufacturer of the new clutch kit?

[@poke2748]

Is this identical to the Xterra 2.4?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

For the most part yes

[@abiel.rodriguez]

Do you really need to remove the stick to drop the transmission?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

oh yes, or you will break the handle or the aluminum off,

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

plus its a good way to refill it without worrying about being a crazy plumber with a pump

[@abiel.rodriguez]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration tnx for the reply. I thought that there was enough clearance on the top to dettach the transmission safely without having to remove the handle but well, ill tackle this job on my own soon because I have a d22 and its asking for a new clutch kit.

[@abiel.rodriguez]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration do you have any input on exedy brand? Its made in Japan afterall. Whats the brand that you installed?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@abiel.rodriguez Clutchmasters.com stage2 with a heavier (thicker) diaphragm spring, these are what goes so i wanted a good one, Sorry for late reply, many messages to answer

[@titoazua3120]

Torque specs?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

i have a chilton repair manual for the truck, the pressure plate torque spec is 16, then 22ft lbs, two stages, first round 16 second round 22

[@mollyslostsanity]

I was the first like

[@vr4bastard353]

as of now you have 666 subscibers idk if i should subscibe lol

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

wow lol

[@VincentAnthonyE]

Do you live at a cemetary?!

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Next to one, peaceful, not a lot of foot or car traffic in the graveyard, its dead there.

[@fishfire_2999]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration True but people are dying to get in there .