Yummybud924

Not sure if my clutch is on it's way out so that I should start saving for a new clutch. When I reverse the car I have to hold the clutch out half way and give it gas and just hold it there for it to back up which is obviously bad.

but if I try and full release the clutch I cannot reverse slowly and if I give it a little gas it starts to hop and jump, have to give it more gas but you obviously can't back up at 10 km an hour lol.

so is it normal to hold the clutch at the engagement point and not fully release it and give it gas to back up?

and what is a sure way to know what the condition fo the clutch is? I want to tell my porsche shop to check out the clutch so that if it is almost dead I can start saving up for a clutch job. I don't think I want to do it myself as it is a ton of work and I don't want to have the car on stands for 2 months.

Yummybud924

oh other than waht I mentioned the gears change easily and no griding now that I'm running redline tranny fluid. however sometimes when I shift from first to second and let out teh clutch I can kind of hear a clunk in the rear.

zoltan944

well, a good way to see if you clutch is going is to give it a good amount of load and drive down the street (freeway). When shifting and under high HP the rpm will continue to rise for a bit without power then hold.
Realistically it just sounds like you are riding the clutch which is normal for 1st and reverse. perhaps an adjustment is needed?

Wallace

You can check the approximate amount of clutch left:

http://www.clarks-garage.com/pdf-manual/clutch-03.pdf

hardtail15

Does it still have the stock rubber center clutch? A clunk is not good

JimV8

Does it feel like there is slack in the drive line and do you get a clunk on downshifting? If yes your rubber centred clutch has ruptured and you are on the metal stops. Yours is an 85.5 so it came with the rubber clutch. If you keep driving on it you'd best plan to find a transaxle because the banging will kill the R&P gears.

Yummybud924

not sure what you mean by slack. I don't hear clunks when downshifting.

and there is usually no clunk but sometimes I hear some clunk coming from teh back of the car when shifting from first into second.

not sure if I have the original rubber centre clutch. The previous owner I bought the car from claimed he had installed a new sachs clutch kit recently but he had receipts for all other parts and services but not receipt for a clutch.

mtccl

I've noticed the 944 doesn't reverse "slowly" very smooth. I just modulate the clutch in and out to keep moving. I would not hold it 1/2 way out or you run the risk of wearing the throwout bearing.

Due to the lack of any other symptoms...I would chalk this one up to operator technique.

JontraK

Hey Yummybud,

What happened in the end with your car? Did you replace the clutch? I have a very simmilar case on my car, almost the same. No other problems except for jerking when reversing? I've been told by a porsche mechanic that when the clutch (on NAs) gets hot the rubber expands and the clutch doesnt engage fully hence the car jerks... Only happens when reversing

Yummybud924

no haven't replaced anything yet.

I'm going to my porsche mechanic this monday and will find out then what the problem is.

I can actually reverse smoothly now but I'll have to back upt at like 10km/h which is way too fast for backing up in parking lots etc.

JontraK

Can you post an update here please. I'd love to know ehat your mechanic says about this? BTW, do you have any jerkingwhen going forward in any gears?

87 944 C

it seems most cars i've driven 5spd in back up a lil to quick when fully disengadged from the clutch, inluding my 944. i usually in a parking lot just get it to move a lil in R, then pop it in N. that way people know i'm backing out, and it's a smooth as i want it to be without riding thte clutch. i also ride 1st a lil.

the clunk from 1st to 2nd, could b a bad shift. i get it sometimes from 4th to 5th. try putting ur foot into the gas a lil, just a blip while coming off the clutch on the upshift.

Yummybud924

yeah I'll post a reply on monday. I'm crossing my fingers that it's not the clutch.

the past 2 days I managed not to clunk my transmission once by shifting fast and giving the car gas right afte,r shifting in every gear and shifting more smoothly, weird no clunks.

but I can still make my transmission clunk by reving it high in any gear and quickly letting go of the gas pedal and the rear end jerks and goes "clunk".


I had my car on jackstands and dropped the clutch in first gear with the engine running and the rear wheels elevated and spinning and I could see my transmission shake left to right when teh clutch is dropped and audible clunk sound is heard when the transmission shakes.

I'm really not sure if it's the clutch or internal transmisson problem or a bad trans mount or a combination of these.

I'm hoping it's a bad mount or even a bad transmission as those are both cheaper than a bad clutch.


it's odd though before I used to shift and not give the car gas immediatly before the clutch pedal is fully, released and this would cause it pretty badly. Now I can pretty much avoid the clunk but I know the problem is still there and I need to fix whatever causes it.

Yummybud924

also if I don't rev match when downshifting (I do) the transmission clunks and shakes again.

mynus2

the clunking is very possibly the clutch the old original clutches had two ruuber discs sandwiched between metal discs where the drive shaft enters the clutch, the rubber discs were there to dampen vibration, so i have been told.when the discs fail the clutch has a series of three interlocking teeth between the rubber discs and the clutch plate they have some play in them thats problably the clunking sound.the reason its intermittent could be that the discs have not fully seperated yet but a new clutch is coming if this is the prob.