Z31 N/A gearbox issues FS5W71C

Northerner

Club Member
Since rebuilding my engine last year, I noticed some play in the input shaft and now a slight oil leak from the bell housing. Upon doing some research, I’ve found that the input shaft bearing which is as standard an NTN 6306N that wears. This is accessed to check by taking off the triangular cover inside the bell housing to check. I’ve taken a video of what I’ve found so I’ve source a few new parts inc bearing, washer seal etc. Next I’ll split the casings and update on my progress. Hopefully nothing more is wrong inside
 

Northerner

Club Member
Video and few pictures
 

Attachments

  • 2F1E60DB-F007-40F8-9B83-A441A655DF5C.jpeg
    2F1E60DB-F007-40F8-9B83-A441A655DF5C.jpeg
    334.5 KB · Views: 26
  • BEDC6C0F-4E71-4A28-AF33-660042FBD293.jpeg
    BEDC6C0F-4E71-4A28-AF33-660042FBD293.jpeg
    203.2 KB · Views: 23
  • B602FCB6-19B8-48F0-B952-D090708F14E5.jpeg
    B602FCB6-19B8-48F0-B952-D090708F14E5.jpeg
    181.5 KB · Views: 24
  • B79022C5-9791-4246-911A-BB9FBCBFCAB4.jpeg
    B79022C5-9791-4246-911A-BB9FBCBFCAB4.jpeg
    161.8 KB · Views: 23

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I'm about to do the front seal on mine, and maybe the bearing. I have thought it might be possible to do the bearing without splitting the case - what do you reckon?
 

Northerner

Club Member
Well I’ve done research and alas no it can’t be done! Basically this bearing has a circlip groove cut into the outside which keeps it centred when the cover is on and stops it moving up/down the shaft. I’m going to check all the bearings and gears and clean everything whilst it’s all apart.

check this YouTube video and the ones after

 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
thanks, yes, although I think I can get the snap ring and circlip out, I'd have nowhere to press or pull the bearing off.
Just the seal and gasket then!
How's yours coming on?
 

moggy240

Insurance Valuations Officer
Staff member
Club Member

Attachments

  • IMG_20210515_133535.jpg
    IMG_20210515_133535.jpg
    238.7 KB · Views: 20
  • IMG_20210515_133655.jpg
    IMG_20210515_133655.jpg
    228.3 KB · Views: 20

Northerner

Club Member
Cheers for that! Been slow going due to working and bad weather as I’m doing this outside! I’ve now got the other bearing which is made by Nachi 22BC06S5X which was under £20 on flebay. I also had to source a shim that goes inside the housing as mine was falling apart! Hopefully I’ll get things cleaned up and reassembled this or next week.
 

Northerner

Club Member
Update so I split the casings off the shaft today which was a bit tricky as someone had been in there before and used black rtv. Had to use a blade to start it off as I did not want to crack the casing with a rubber mallet. The bell housing took the longest. To do this you have to take off the main shaft circlip inside the triangular cover. Once off, I’ve checked everything and noticed severe wear on the reverse gear idler. It did crunch sometimes in reverse. Anyways Nissan Uk part number 32282-55s24 is NLA. I’ve found a few aftermarket ones in the USA but luckily they are available in the UAE. So I’m waiting on that and I’ve ordered the tailshaft bearing which is a Nachi 6203 which are only £5. The issue is can I replace the reverse idler without pulling the whole shaft apart? I don’t have a puller that big or a press so I’m kind of at a stand still until I solve this issue
 

Attachments

  • 20C30989-A3A4-4677-8B68-BA95BC3FCAEE.jpeg
    20C30989-A3A4-4677-8B68-BA95BC3FCAEE.jpeg
    438 KB · Views: 16
  • E85B8B4F-41ED-4CC1-8117-E83621DD6FFF.jpeg
    E85B8B4F-41ED-4CC1-8117-E83621DD6FFF.jpeg
    240.6 KB · Views: 15
  • 49D70FA4-C139-44AC-A358-B65593E86E5C.jpeg
    49D70FA4-C139-44AC-A358-B65593E86E5C.jpeg
    246.2 KB · Views: 15
  • F61CC9A4-DB0F-44DC-8284-234B3B121F85.jpeg
    F61CC9A4-DB0F-44DC-8284-234B3B121F85.jpeg
    181.5 KB · Views: 15
  • 345A9D5F-B40C-4E53-A27E-0D59CF82D83F.png
    345A9D5F-B40C-4E53-A27E-0D59CF82D83F.png
    482.7 KB · Views: 15

Northerner

Club Member
Well the Fsm is not much good as it just goes in detail about fully stripping down the box so the power of YouTube has come to the rescue. I’ve found a link to a guy stripping a similar box and unfortunately you have to remove the two nuts off the main shafts and a few cogs to get to the reverse gear. A puller is also needed to pull of the main gear drive for the reverse gear but getting it back on will only require warming this up in hot water and a light tap. Now I’ll have to source the two nuts with the top one being left hand thread as they are one use only

link to Takeura.farm&machine :
 

moggy240

Insurance Valuations Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Well the Fsm is not much good as it just goes in detail about fully stripping down the box so the power of YouTube has come to the rescue. I’ve found a link to a guy stripping a similar box and unfortunately you have to remove the two nuts off the main shafts and a few cogs to get to the reverse gear. A puller is also needed to pull of the main gear drive for the reverse gear but getting it back on will only require warming this up in hot water and a light tap. Now I’ll have to source the two nuts with the top one being left hand thread as they are one use only

link to Takeura.farm&machine :
That's a the best video I have seen for stripping the gearbox, not quite the same order I did mine but does the job
 

Northerner

Club Member
Hahah yes I would to know Japanese to know what they are saying!
Progress been a bit slow as I’ve bought a project car! It’s a 99 Nissan Qx (maxima A32) with the. VQ30 engine

All my bearings arrived. So I’ve basically changed all Four bearings on the outer parts of the shafts. I’m not adventurous enough to strip all the gears off and tbh, the box was quiet! Luckily for me, my mate is a parts manager at Crosby park Nissan and he had some of them in stock covered in dust since the 90’s! These are the first pictured. The others where off eBay from simply bearings that came next day!. I used a two legged pulley to remove them and I left them in the sun for a few hours and they slipped on no bother!
Next is to clean all the surfaces up and the cases and reassemble.
 

Attachments

  • 1F4B78E0-FF70-46F7-9A29-4627A93DBF3D.jpeg
    1F4B78E0-FF70-46F7-9A29-4627A93DBF3D.jpeg
    233.4 KB · Views: 14
  • D45EBAF3-98F2-4229-9CB8-FECC3627A301.jpeg
    D45EBAF3-98F2-4229-9CB8-FECC3627A301.jpeg
    220.1 KB · Views: 15
  • A2AECEA4-B823-4EF5-8DDF-ACEA3785E398.jpeg
    A2AECEA4-B823-4EF5-8DDF-ACEA3785E398.jpeg
    192.2 KB · Views: 14
  • D9429424-FF37-401D-A8ED-C7AA23BFA633.jpeg
    D9429424-FF37-401D-A8ED-C7AA23BFA633.jpeg
    180.3 KB · Views: 15
  • E4239D7A-44B9-4A7B-9010-02BD30C1A91E.png
    E4239D7A-44B9-4A7B-9010-02BD30C1A91E.png
    482.7 KB · Views: 14

Northerner

Club Member
Well the box is now back together. I used genuine Nissan sealant for the cases. It went together quite easily using my home made stand. The only thing to note is that upon putting the tail shaft case onto the bell housing case, you have to fit the shift lever adapter onto the shift linage before the cases mate. Once they are together, there is not enough room to slid it on the selector shaft. Before I refitted the box to the car, I fitted the shift lever temporarily to check that it selected all gears! Test drive tomorrow so fingers crossed. I’ve also replaced the prop-shaft bearing which is the same as a Navara
 

Attachments

  • 5DF131C2-50E2-45E2-AAB5-7FF8316078A8.jpeg
    5DF131C2-50E2-45E2-AAB5-7FF8316078A8.jpeg
    175.5 KB · Views: 17
  • E944E301-6FE2-4238-872F-09F1AE72B083.jpeg
    E944E301-6FE2-4238-872F-09F1AE72B083.jpeg
    157.1 KB · Views: 17
  • 41904BD0-0186-4598-A6F9-2860C8291071.jpeg
    41904BD0-0186-4598-A6F9-2860C8291071.jpeg
    143.9 KB · Views: 16
  • B794C6DA-A655-4B21-BEB5-9CC689914D1A.jpeg
    B794C6DA-A655-4B21-BEB5-9CC689914D1A.jpeg
    165.6 KB · Views: 16
  • C60D2616-301A-400F-AC74-B6227A1E20CE.jpeg
    C60D2616-301A-400F-AC74-B6227A1E20CE.jpeg
    134.4 KB · Views: 17
  • EB5C9761-BC45-4DC1-BA1C-B81AF87E5A63.jpeg
    EB5C9761-BC45-4DC1-BA1C-B81AF87E5A63.jpeg
    208.6 KB · Views: 16
  • 26C3D484-0F57-496D-BAA4-8C6CB21C8B21.jpeg
    26C3D484-0F57-496D-BAA4-8C6CB21C8B21.jpeg
    338.3 KB · Views: 17

Northerner

Club Member
Great work mate. Gearboxes frighten the life out of me!
Yes me too but tbh, I’d read the manual and looked at videos on YouTube and I thought what the heck! It turned out to not be as bad as I thought. If all the gears needed coming off the shafts, I’d probably leave it to the experts but luckily mine wasn’t that bad.
 
Top