mjc

In the process of buying a 96 tt with approx 47k miles, I noted the clutch won't engage until its almost completely out ..the dealer looked into it and was informed the clutch is a bit worn and will eventually need a new clutch.

The car is a two owner vehcile, the first 44k miles was based on a 60 mile r/t commute, the remaining 3k was put on by the second owner, who was a car nut (F355S, M3, 996 tt), no knowledge of driving habit...

My questions, what can I expect to spend on a dealer-replaced clutch ...this dealer said he will cover a portion.

Also from the a long term perspective, should I also look into an (aftermarket) extended warranty? what has been your experiences with these? any companies i should consider?

thx,

c.martin

Robin 993DX

The clutch parts by itself is around $1000, probably need a flywheel too, which is another $1000. (I am estimating these prices) The standard labor hour in a dealership to change out a clutch is around 11 hours (most mechanic can do it in less than 4). The reason why the dealer said they can pay for part of clutch is because most likely they can get a clutch for free from Porsche, Porsche do give out free clutches to what they consider potential good royal customers as part of their customer retention program, don't ask me to show you on paper, because it is not written anywhere... But I know it exists.

No extended warranty program I know of will cover clutch, or anything related to the clutch including the hydraulics.

Getting extended warranty is just like playing Russian roulette. You don't know if you ever will needed, but if you do, it is a life saver, but in the same time you could be donating your money away.

But to have the car checked out by a competent (unbiased) Porsche mechanic before you buy the car would be your best insurance.

Konrad 996tt

I just bought a 96 993tt, 27K miles. When I test drove it, the clutch seemed to by worn, so I asked for the dealer to replace it to close the deal. The service manager charged the sales dept. $2575 for the clutch replacement (parts and labor).

Ran

What are the signs of clutch wear? I do not exactly understand what one means by "won't engage until its almost completely out"?

I have never had a clutch go bad on me and suspect that I will know if it does but I do NOT understand THE TERMS "engage", etc. as they relate to clutches and as used above. Just have not done much "car talk".

Also, clutch worn out means it basically does not work right? I guess that sounds silly but..there is so much clutch talk here I better start understanding what everyone means.

Thanks.

DJ

Hey Ran,

Try this: sit in your car, in first gear, clutch pedal pressed to the floor, engine idling. Slowly and incrementally decrease the pressure on the clutch pedal, letting the pedal rise one millimeter at a time. Note the spot where the car just starts to move forward. That is the engagement point. Press the clutch pedal back to the the floor, and note the amount of travel. Repeat until your foot/leg learns just where the engagement point is located. As the clutch wears, this engagement point will move so that the clutch pedal will be higher and higher from the floor when the car starts to move forward.


"Clutch worn out" generally means that the clutch will no longer effectively connect the engine to the transmission without slippage.

The clutch is the mechanism that allows the engine to "lock" and "unlock" to/from the transmission. When the clutch pedal is in the full-upward position (the normal resting position), the clutch is "out" and the engine and transmission are connected, or locked together, so that when the engine's crankshaft makes one revolution, the transmission's input shaft likewise makes one revolution. When the clutch pedal is in the full-downward position, the clutch is "in" and the engine and transmission are disconnected, or separated, so that the engine is free to rev independantly of the transmission. When the clutch pedal is in any position between full "in" and full "out", the rotational speed of the engine and the rotational speed of the transmission's input shaft are unequal, and the clutch is slipping, allowing a smooth transition between "unlocked" and "locked".
As the clutch pedal moves upward, the clutch gradually decreases the differential in rotational speed between the engine and the transmission.

I hope this helps.

Ran

Thanks MUCH DJ.
I just wanted the info. I didn't really suspect anything wrong with my car but wanted to be informed of some of the car colloquialism since these words are thrown around a lot.

mjc

Thanks DJ! great info, the clutch would not engage until it was almost completely let out and I saw that as a concern.

In my previous 996, the clutch engages about a quarter to a third of the way out, on my current M5, it engages almost immediately. So you could see my concern about it engaging when its almost completly out.

In any case, the dealer is replacing the clutch as we speak.

Cheers,

DV 993tt

What are the results of your clutch job? Does your clutch now engage lower after the clutch job? I also have the same problem with my clutch. My clutch also engages very high up.
Thanx

mjc

oops, sorry about the late reply ...been out of town.

As I suspected, when they pulled out the engine to replace the clutch, the mechanic noted some leakage with the tranny fluids and some worn bearings that needed replaceing...which was fine with me cause I didn't hear anything during the test ride ...so they replaced all that.

All in all, replacing the clutch helped. It now engages approximately one third of the way up, although my preferance is to have it much faster.