Clutch Starting to Go Bad
12-22-2014, 12:38 AM
#31
Drifting
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Bastrop By God Texas
Posts: 2,255
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My Indy quoted me $2300 for a new clutch assuming my flywheel didn't need to be replaced. $4500 for a Sachs kit with LWFW. That was about a year ago. I was just seeing what it had ahead of me.
12-29-2014, 03:29 PM
#32
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I dropped the car off at my local dealer today and asked them to look at the slave cylinder, etc to see if there is something obvious (read: cheap ) that might be causing my problem. One of the mechanics I know there had the opinion that based on the age of the car and description of the issues that the most likely problem is the springs on the pressure plate starting to crack. Anyone know if this is the failure mode with the stock clutch?
01-06-2015, 12:08 PM
#34
4th Gear
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Warning- Terrible Experience with Sachs Stage II clutch and AWE Tuning
I have been driving Porsches as my daily driver since 1991 when I purchased a ’88 944S. I have had several daily driver Porsches since that time, after the 944, they were all 911s. I am very familiar with the product, how to drive and maintain it, and I have a long history of service on all of my vehicles from Porsche direct only.
I had one issue with my 2001 996 Cabriolet when I undertook replacement of the clutch; a minor rear main seal leak only. I purchased my car from Porsche as a lease return from a Porsche employee with 50,000 km on it. My car had more than 160,000 km on the original clutch, and it was operating flawlessly when I undertook this upgrade. I elected to upgrade my clutch and flywheel as I wanted the minor leak rectified, and I attempting to be proactive to save myself future labour to disassemble the same portion of the drivetrain to replace the clutch in the future and to increase my car’s performance. My dealer is a Premier Porsche dealer, the Sachs clutch and lightweight flywheel were supplied by AWE Tuning.
The work was completed in the spring of this year, and the car returned to me. Very soon after its return, it became clear that the clutch was not operating properly, and within approximately 2000 km the clutch began to slip and fail. The car was returned to Porsche, who disassembled the clutch to diagnose an repair.
At that time, AWE refused to replace the part without inspection. I waited with my vehicle disassembled for more than 2 months for the parts to be sent away, inspected, tested etc. The Porsche dealer's ability to install the part correctly was brought into question by AWE (I find it extremely unlikely that a dealership of this calibre and reputation could install a clutch incorrectly), my driving style and ability was questioned (clearly, with 160,000 km+ on the original clutch and very little wear it was not my driving style), so by the process of elimination, I do not see how the issue can by anything other than a defective part and/or supply of the incorrect parts. After all of this, it was discovered that AWE had indeed supplied incorrect parts for my vehicle. In the end, the part was replaced and reinstalled.
The problem did appear to be solved, and the clutch did operate properly for several months; then the same symptoms reappeared, and the clutch began to slip again with less than 4000 additional km. That is a total of approximately 6000 km to burn-out two brand new clutches. I don’t that believe that the worst driver could be responsible for that level of wear, so once again it’s not the driver. If it is extremely unlikely that a Premier Porsche dealer installed a clutch incorrectly once, then it is practically impossible that they did so twice, so it’s not the installer.
I returned the car once again. Inspection of the parts shows unusual wear and heat damage. The flywheel is scored and worn as well. I am not a mechanic, but clearly there was something wrong with these parts individually, in combination or with some part that is incorporated in their installation.
I told my service advisor that I did not want to go through the same nightmare again (the dealer was amazing and extremely helpful throughout the entire matter). I instructed him to replace the Sachs clutch with a factory part and to get a refund on the Sachs clutch as it clearly never operated properly. Once again, I was buying a new factory replacement clutch when I didn’t need one in the first place! In addition, the lightweight flywheel is damaged and of no use to me. Luckily, I kept the original flywheel to reinstall, but I had still paid for a flywheel that is either defective of incorrect and was now clearly damaged.
AWE Tuning refused to do anything further to mitigate my damages, simply saying that their parts dont fail.
I was without my vehicle on two separate occasions for extended periods of time, I was forced to purchase a new factory clutch when I didn’t require one, I purchased a flywheel that was unusable and I am out thousands of dollars as a direct cause of my purchase of AWE Tuning supplied Sachs parts.
Its only one person's experience, but after more than 20 years of owning, servicing and modifying Porsches, buying Sachs parts from AWE Tuning was the worst experience I have had.
I had one issue with my 2001 996 Cabriolet when I undertook replacement of the clutch; a minor rear main seal leak only. I purchased my car from Porsche as a lease return from a Porsche employee with 50,000 km on it. My car had more than 160,000 km on the original clutch, and it was operating flawlessly when I undertook this upgrade. I elected to upgrade my clutch and flywheel as I wanted the minor leak rectified, and I attempting to be proactive to save myself future labour to disassemble the same portion of the drivetrain to replace the clutch in the future and to increase my car’s performance. My dealer is a Premier Porsche dealer, the Sachs clutch and lightweight flywheel were supplied by AWE Tuning.
The work was completed in the spring of this year, and the car returned to me. Very soon after its return, it became clear that the clutch was not operating properly, and within approximately 2000 km the clutch began to slip and fail. The car was returned to Porsche, who disassembled the clutch to diagnose an repair.
At that time, AWE refused to replace the part without inspection. I waited with my vehicle disassembled for more than 2 months for the parts to be sent away, inspected, tested etc. The Porsche dealer's ability to install the part correctly was brought into question by AWE (I find it extremely unlikely that a dealership of this calibre and reputation could install a clutch incorrectly), my driving style and ability was questioned (clearly, with 160,000 km+ on the original clutch and very little wear it was not my driving style), so by the process of elimination, I do not see how the issue can by anything other than a defective part and/or supply of the incorrect parts. After all of this, it was discovered that AWE had indeed supplied incorrect parts for my vehicle. In the end, the part was replaced and reinstalled.
The problem did appear to be solved, and the clutch did operate properly for several months; then the same symptoms reappeared, and the clutch began to slip again with less than 4000 additional km. That is a total of approximately 6000 km to burn-out two brand new clutches. I don’t that believe that the worst driver could be responsible for that level of wear, so once again it’s not the driver. If it is extremely unlikely that a Premier Porsche dealer installed a clutch incorrectly once, then it is practically impossible that they did so twice, so it’s not the installer.
I returned the car once again. Inspection of the parts shows unusual wear and heat damage. The flywheel is scored and worn as well. I am not a mechanic, but clearly there was something wrong with these parts individually, in combination or with some part that is incorporated in their installation.
I told my service advisor that I did not want to go through the same nightmare again (the dealer was amazing and extremely helpful throughout the entire matter). I instructed him to replace the Sachs clutch with a factory part and to get a refund on the Sachs clutch as it clearly never operated properly. Once again, I was buying a new factory replacement clutch when I didn’t need one in the first place! In addition, the lightweight flywheel is damaged and of no use to me. Luckily, I kept the original flywheel to reinstall, but I had still paid for a flywheel that is either defective of incorrect and was now clearly damaged.
AWE Tuning refused to do anything further to mitigate my damages, simply saying that their parts dont fail.
I was without my vehicle on two separate occasions for extended periods of time, I was forced to purchase a new factory clutch when I didn’t require one, I purchased a flywheel that was unusable and I am out thousands of dollars as a direct cause of my purchase of AWE Tuning supplied Sachs parts.
Its only one person's experience, but after more than 20 years of owning, servicing and modifying Porsches, buying Sachs parts from AWE Tuning was the worst experience I have had.
01-06-2015, 01:04 PM
#35
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Thanks for sharing that experience; I'm still mulling over my course of action. I would suspect my local dealer would stand behind the repair if they sourced the parts; if I supplied them and had an issue it would be me footing the additional labor bills and fighting with the parts supplier for redress, all the while my car would be sitting outside in the dealers back parking lot.