The clutch pivot on a Nissan: why it matters when you buy from Japan

The clutch pivot is the small part inside the bell housing that the clutch release fork rocks on each time you press the pedal. It's not something you'll ever see in a listing photo, and on a lot of Nissans it's worth asking about.

What I'd tell you

On the R33 GT-R, the clutch pivot breaks. In my view, that's true of almost every Nissan.

If a car has had an uprated clutch fitted, my view is that it should have an uprated pivot as well. And the sensible time to change the pivot is when the clutch itself is being changed, because that's when it can be reached.

What a viewing can't show

• The pivot itself. It sits inside the bell housing, between the engine and the gearbox. It can't be seen without taking the gearbox off, and we don't take anything apart. It goes in the report as Not verified.
• How the clutch feels. We don't drive the car. The dealer's staff start and move it.

What can help is paperwork: a record of when the clutch was last changed, and whether the pivot was changed with it. For what a Japanese car's history and records can and can't tell you, see what a Japan car history check can tell you.

We don't tell you whether to buy.

If the clutch is part of what you're unsure about, tell us, and we'll ask the dealer what they know about it and photograph any records they show us.

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Questions to ask the dealer

1. When was the clutch last changed? Ask for the record if there is one.
2. Was the pivot changed at the same time?
3. Is the clutch standard or uprated? If it's uprated, ask whether the pivot was uprated too.

Related pages

For where an R33 rusts and what else goes wrong around the RB26, see our R33 GT-R page. For other Nissans, see our model pages.

Car outside the Tokai region (Aichi, Gifu and Mie)? A Remote Check is where we phone the dealer in Japanese, wherever they are, and ask about the clutch and its records before anyone travels.

Written by Yoshiaki Sagara, a paintless dent repair and detailing technician in Japan. He looks at cars for overseas buyers through Ninja Desk Japan. About us

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