Chwatson

First off, the car is an '83.

So the fall semester started and I have been awfully busy lately. About 3 weeks ago I drove from Orlando to Gainesville and back (my first decent roadtrip in the 944), when I was on my way out of town, I noticed that my clutch was fully engaged with a very short pedal travel. I think this had been happening progressively, but I had finally noticed.

ANYWAY, I didn't feel the clutch slip at all during the trip, even as I gunned it on onramps and so forth, and I doubt I could've damaged it even so because there wasn't enough torque in 5th gear at 75 or 80 to make it slip. Fastforward 3 weeks and, once depressed past the freeplay, the clutch can be fully engaged and you can shift gears after what feels like 1/2-3/4" of travel. That is not an exaggeration.

I tried bleeding the clutch this past Sunday but it didn't do much. It even seemed to create a faint vacuum-like condition, like a much lesser version of when the master cylinder was gone. The clutch will slip fairly easily in 1st or 2nd, in 3rd if it had slipped in 1st or 2nd or I'm accelerating hard. It won't slip in 4th or 5th.

I have been VERY careful to not push the car, but I have had to drive it as of late because I just have no free time between school and work.

When we first bought the car last June the mechanic said (it had been sitting for a while) that the clutch had "frozen" and that when he broke it loose, he looked at it and it appeared to be a fairly new clutch. Since then I have put on a maximum of 4,000 miles.

Based on these criteria, dare I ask "Am I F*****?"

Also, is it possible for a part of the hydraulic system to hold the clutch partially engaged, even when your foot is not on the clutch?

The car is going to be dropped off at a Porsche shop in town (Orlando) first thing tomorrow morning so they can look it over. I called to set up an appointment and talk about what was going on. Also, they quoted me at 1,425 for parts and labor, assuming the flywheel doesn't need to be resurfaced and other gremlins don't show up.

I am broke beyond belief at the moment and I know my parents don't have the money, either. This is horrible. Please tell me I'm not screwed.

austin944

Not sure I undertand everything you're saying, but you say that the clutch slips in 1st and 2nd and not in the higher gears?

I thought usually a worn clutch disk will cause slipping in the higher gears first, before the lower gears start slipping, because the drive shaft is harder to turn in the higher gears. Yours acts the opposite way?

inactiveuser92616

sounds like it is a hydraulic issue, which does not require removal of the clutch at all.

Mamooguy

I can't help you, but I really appreciate the Bad News Bears reference.

Chwatson

really?? this is sounding not as bad, then. you're correct, it does NOT slip in 4th or 5th, and if i'm careful it won't slip in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd; but that requires suchg slow acceleration in 1st and 2nd at least that it doesn't make it really possible to do in traffic that easily

alex

You replaced the master cylinder, but what about the slave cylinder? People tend to say they go within a short time of each other- which I had not found to be the case until I got this last car. I replaced the slave, the master, the combo hose all within about 2 months.

Stien

Same thing happened in my Camry, replaced the master and the problem returned within a few days. Same exact pedal issue mind you. It's the slave cylinder.

reno808

1. what does japan has to do with anything you wrote?? (sorry for the dumb question)
2. how did you bleed clutch???

Mamooguy

The Bad News Bears Go To Japan

Classic bomb of a screwball comedy.

reno808

IC IC

Chwatson

i bled the hydraulics for the clutch at the slave, to answer your question.

MOVING ON: I picked the car up from the shop last night just in case I absolutely need it at some point this weekend. The rubber center is gone. I guess I'm a true 944 owner now.

According to the shop, their cost on a sachs clutch kit is $785 (WTF?!?!), and that is of course the spring center one.

I mentioned the kit from Vertex that runs about $420 and their response was "do your homework on it, if it looks like a solid piece, order one and we have no problem putting it in"

Of course that will affect the warranty (so I have thought about buying a Sachs clutch from another place and seeing if they'll warranty that one).

2 Questions:
1. Any experience with the clutch kit from Vertex? SHould I go for it, or the Sachs from another supplier, or from the shop itself (I don't know why I would do that last thing)? I don't need a tungsten carbon fiber diamond composite clutch, but I don't want to put something in that has a bad rep. I want the cheapest that will solve the problem, more or less.

2. At about $1,425 for parts and labor, before tax (estimate is with their $785 kit), is this a good price? It is a reputable shop in Orlando, but I don't know how rates are in the Southeast, thus I ask.

The only obstacle at the moment is, presuming I order the clutch from somewhere else, how fast it can get here. The car needs to go in early next week, either Monday or Tuesday. I have no problem overnighting the clutch kit, FYI.

austin944

The $1425 is a great price for a clutch replacement. When I had my rubber-centered clutch replaced I got quotes ranging from $1700 to $2400. If it were me, I would just let them install their clutch kit and thank them for giving you such a great quote.