USEFUL NOTES/ADVICE

Ensure that you and any assistants are NOT directly underneath the heavy transmission assembly or engine at any time, in case either should drop.

Ideally have two people on hand when removing and re-fitting the transmission; for safety and because many hands make light work. Wear protective shoes with steel toecaps, preventing your feet being crushed if heavy components fall.

Set aside at least a whole day to carry out the job, particularly if undertaking it for the first time.

The front of the car needs to be raised; use strong axle stands, carefully positioned, to take the weight of the vehicle while you are beneath it.

Due to the design of the Note’s front bodywork (and especially the high mounting positions of the large headlamps), John found it impossible to employ his usual purpose-designed cross-car-mounted steel beam from which to suspend the engine while the transmission unit is detached. As an alternative, he used a substantial high-lifting hydraulic trolley jack, with the lifting platform topped by a stout wood block, to take the weight of the motor from below. A second substantial (and also high-lifting) trolley jack was required to lower the transmission from the car, and to raise it back into position after installing the new clutch components.

There’s no need to remove the starter motor from the engine bay, but its securing bolts must be taken out; access (at the rear of the engine) is not great.

The engine fitted to this Nissan does not have a crankshaft spigot bush or bearing.

When fitting the bolts holding the clutch pressure plate assembly to the flywheel, tighten them a little at a time, in diagonal sequence, to the specified torque settings given in our separate ‘Important Data’ panel.

With all parts re-fitted to the vehicle, and with it horizontal, refill the transmission with fresh oil to the correct specification. The relevant spanner sizes you’ll need are given in brackets in our photo captions.

References to left- and right-hand sides are from the point of view of someone sitting in the car.