GRUWEZ

Hello all,

Since a couple of months I am the proud owner of a 1994 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. Over the past couple of days I have started to notice that it has become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to engage reverse or first gear from neutral. This is particularly the case on a cold engine/transmission. This has worstened to a point where I start up the car in the morning, I simply cannot engage 1st or reverse from neutral. I have to turn off the engine, put the transmission in 1st or reverse and then start the engine once again. I do not think this is the standard procedure...

Anyway, once the engine and transmission have received full operating temperature, it gets better but only somewhat. Still, with the car in first or reverse, the engine running and the clutch pedal fully depressed, the car creeps forwards or backwards. When I drive the car, I have to make sure I press the clutch pedal all the way to the floorpan otherwise, I feel in the transmission lever that I am messing up my syncromesh gears.

So, I assume that I need to adjust the clutch cable. Can anyone direct me to instructions on how to do this? I have experience with working on cars, but all of them are automatics. Clutches are relatively unknown terrain for me.

Secondly, can someone confirm that these actually *are* the symptoms of a misadjusted clutch cable?

Thanks for the feedback,
Rik Gruwez
Brugge,
Belgium

Roly Baldwin

Hello Rik,

964s don't have clutch cables - they're hydraulic.

It's not the same as a 964 but I have had similar experiences with one of my Saab 99s. A leak from the clutch slave cylinder meant that with the pedal on the floor there was not sufficient movement in the clutch to allow 1st to be engaged. Renewal of the slave cylinder and replacing/bleeding the hydraulic fluid fixed the problem.

I'd still get a professional to look at it though - the fluid reservoir is shared with the brakes on this car and that always makes me a bit twitchy...

964porschedude

The 964 has a self-adjusting hydraulic clutch actuation system. The only maintenance is the bleeding Porsche suggests every two years along with the brakes. They use a common reservoir. You might look at the pedal cluster and make sure the pivots are not worn out prematurely. The only other thing I can offer is going to Swepco http://www.swepcousa.com/lubesite/products/h201.htmgear oil.

I also find it easier to drop the slave cylinder down from the transmission and leave the hose connected when you bleed the cylinder. You can also pump out the fluid old fluid by opening the bleed valve and push on the plunger end of the cylinder. Make sure you close the bleeder and have enough fluid in the reservoir at all time to prevent sucking air into the system. That makes the pedal and transmission selector behave just as you describe.

Keith

Fred, Long Island

Had a problem a few years ago. It was the roll pin in the clutch pedal assembly. It partially sheared and gave just enough movement to barely engage gears. It then failed completely, giving all the symptoms of failed clutch.
Pull the floorboard and move it by hand. If you see slack in operation, that could be it.

GRUWEZ

Follow-up...

I called the dealership this morning. The told me to check the height of the clutch pedal. It should be the same height as the brake pedal. If not, I was told to pull it upwards.

Sure enough, the clutch pedal was about 4cm lower than the brake pedal. So I pulled it upwards and now the car is running fine again. According to the dealership this is a common ailment on 964s when the ambient temperature is high.

Anyone care to comment?

DaveK

There is a common problem on 964s (which I've never heard of being temperature related) which is that the clutch pedal does not return fully. However - this does not usually affect the clutch operation because the pedal returns to the top of the "active" travel, and just doesn't return to the top of the free play.

This is solved in most cases by replacing the slave cylinder. Although - I was recently told by my mechanic that 993s also have this problem and that there is an updated part for the pedal assembly (which can also be fitted to 964s) in an attempt to fix this. My pedal occasionally fails to return fully so they may replace this part in a couple of weeks - although I'm quite confident my problem is the slave cylinder.

So in summary, yes - the clutch pedal not fully returning is a common 964 problem. But - it shouldn't affect the actual clutch action and, although it is common, it is still a problem and is fixable.

964porschedude

Very good!

So the pedal was not getting the full travel, meaning the master cylinder was starting from a point forward of where it was designed to start and the master was giving a short shot of fluid to the slave.

Keith

PeterMcD

I know that this is an old thread .... but I want to say "Thank You!!" for posting this.

My 964 had me very worried when this past week I had this same issue ... and I just went out, pulled up the clutch pedal and "Voila" Fixed!!!

I am soooooo thankful

Peter

Grim Grim

I recently had a new clutch and slave cylinder fitted to my 964 C4. After fitting I had the 2" discrepancy between clutch and brake pedals, and the bite point was somewhere under the carpet. I tried to pull the clutch pedal up, but it was solid. Out came the carpets and pedal-box cover to investigate, a few pumps on the pedal and it returned to its correct position (this left my mechanic and I puzzled but smiling). The bite point was now at carpet level but still not correct, there also seemed to be a slight amount of play now that the pedal was returning fully, but I assumed that there should be. It cost only a few pounds (about $5) for two new nylon bushes (part No. 3 611 00) and a roll pin (part No. N 023 351 1) (Illustration 702-00 in PET), about an hour for my mechanic to remove the pedal assembly rebuild with the new bits and reinstall. The result was excellent, bite point about two inches above the carpet and a really smooth action. A d.i.y. job if you are handy with a spanner (you will need to drift and pull out the old roll pin, which was the hardest part) and do not have a close friend who is an excellent mechanic.