BLAZTR Build: NA Clutch pedal swap
Twin Turbo model 300zx came with a vacuum assisted clutch pedal to aid in driver comfort. As the years go by the vacuum boosters for these pedals begin to fail and because of the difficulty it takes to remove and replace them most of these boosters are bypassed. A TT model pedal without the aid of vacuum assist is pretty stiff, even more so with aftermarket clutch kits.
In the 3 years I’ve owned my Z the vacuum booster has been bypassed. It wasn’t until recently when I sat in a friends Z did a feel what the pedal “should” feel like. After some research I learned that the non-turbo model pedal is designed with more mechanical advantage to be used without the booster.
I was able to get my hands on a non-turbo pedal assembly and the required non-turbo master cylinder that is required for the pedal swap. Due to the used master cylinders age and the possibility of worn seals I opted to rebuild the master cylinder with a Nissan OEM rebuild kit.
Getting the original pedal assembly and booster out from under the car was quite a chore. For those that have never done it it involves sitting upside down underneath the dash board, removing AC piping, lower dash trim, and some very hard to reach bolts that hold the pedal in place. In all it took me about 3 hours to get it out.
Reinstall of the replacement pedal was a breeze. Without the bulky clutch booster it was a lot easier maneuvering the pedal into place. I would also note that while doing the pedal swap it would be a good time to replace the clutch clevis pin bushing. This bushing is installed on the clutch pedal right where the rod fork of the master cylinder connects. This eliminates free-play in between clevis pin and the pedal arm Most likely yours is broken or cracked and once it disintegrates it will lead to a clunky pedal feel under foot. The Nissan part number for this bushing is 46545-01L00 and costs about $5. This project has improved the pedal feel and overall drivability of the Z. A special thanks to Joe Nadoldy for the parts and Scott Taylor for the knowledge.