i just purchased a 1992 240sx from a co-worker of mine. he says a couple years ago he had a high performance clutch installed. from what he tells me this clutch should last a good amount of time before requiring any type of service. i have no reason not to believe him because hes spent alot of money on an air intake system and an APEXi exhaust system. but when i had a mobile mechanic that ive known for awhile now drive the 240, he said he noticed the clutch was slipping just a "little bit". now i drive new cars every day for a living, and the clutch on the 240 to me feels very similiar to the new cars of similar powertrains that i drive at my job.

i guess my question is, assuming that my co-worker did have a higher quality clutch installed, should the clutch begin slipping after only a couple years? the mechanic says it may just need adjusting. my next question is can the clutch on these cars be adjusted if you notice it begins to slip? again, i dont feel any slipping at all. and i have to bear in mind that this mechanic was under the influence of multiple narcotics, and who knows what state of mind he was in. any help hear would be appreciated. thanks.............

read the linfo in the link, it will...

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm

if aclutch is "sliping" that means that your RPM shooting up with out moving the car, usually happens at high RPM.

why in the world would you trust the word of a crackhead? a high performance clutch could slip faster than a stock one, but also some last longer. it depends on the clutch.

you're right slideways..., at times it is difficult to take this guy seriously because of his "habbit". but there are times when he does have his moments, and he is useful in helping with some pretty annoying problems. and thanks AWDSR20, the information in that link was very helpful. the one thing that really got my attention is when the article described a clutch can wear faster if the driver slips the clutch alot. and that the clutch will not wear when it is locked and in sync with the flywheel. now im not a street racer or anything. so what does a driver do to cause the clutch to slip, as opposed to driving with the clutch and flywheel in sync?????? i assume causing the clutch to slip has something to do with increasing the vehicles speed or something.

np bro!

slipping the clutch is when you start driving when the clutch is half engaged, its used in drag racing because it helps shed some power instead of transferring it all to the tires and smoking them. i guarantee you slip your clutch every time you start moving after a stopsign. almost all cars have enough power that instantly engaging the clutch when you start moving from a stop would cause you to jump forward and squeal the tires.
this is why a lot of high performance clutches are so hard to drive, because they grip so much harder and dont allow slipping the same way.

i havent driven my 240 much yet. but if the clutch is going bad and beginning to slip, what would be the symptons of this? AWDSR20 mentioned higher rpms, which i guess is due to clutch not grabbing th flywheel. from my driving of my 240, that was not the case. im starting to think that the mechanic that said he felt a minor slip in the clutch doesnt really know what he was talkin about. but if he's right, what other signs should i look for? and would that mean i need to have the clutch and flywheel replaced eventually???

Found a few links for you, good luck.
You're flywheel should be in good shape.., inspect it and get it machined if it isn't. Check the whole clutch assembly while you're in there ie.. pressure plate, etc etc

I bet your clutch is burnt like a MF lol

http://clutchwizard.com/diagnosis.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_7687_diagnose-slipping-clutch.html

There could be a few different possibities. The first thing is that no matter what kind of clutch you get, if its not properly installed or broken in (if the manufacturer recommends a break in period) the clutch will fail. Then again, it could just be something little and all you will need is an adjustment.