Here are the symptoms:

1)- Clutch starts to engage about two inches from the bottom, but does not seem fully engaged until a few inches from the top.

2)- No slippage if clutch is fully engaged then I give it full throttle (at any RPM).

3)- Clutch does slip if I give it too much throttle before my foot is off the clutch. It's as if the clutch cannot keep up with the flywheel if it is accelerating too fast.

Maybe a nice wax job will make it better? (just kidding).

 

If the clutch isn't slipping when fully engaged, you're fine. Just change your driving style so it doesn't ever slip... it can last almost forever.

 

Hey Steve,

How long is almost forever?

 

That's how long Steve has been around, cars had wooden wheels when he started driving.

 

Sounds like you clutch is fine. The power clutch disguises the true amount of clutch left in some ways. The parital engagement 2 inches from the floor, and then full towards the top is fairly normal in many cars. How many miles are on it? Most turbos seem to be good for 40-60K miles depending upon the driver...

I thought that Steve/OFE has been around forever+2

 

Steve and Bob,

Thanks for your feedback.

Just for the sake of clarity, imagine shifting briskly from second to third gear and hitting the gas early before your foot is completely off the clutch. After your foot is off the clutch the RPM's are still climbing but the car is not accelerating (clutch slipping)

If I make sure the left foot is off the clutch before mashing down the right foot, then no problemo.

 

Getting back on the power before the clutch is fully engaged will shorten the life of any clutch. What you're seeing partially due to static vs dynamic friction; once the clutch is slipping you have to greatly reduce the power being transmitted through it before it will hook up again. That same amount of power will go through a fully engaged non-slipping clutch without a problem. I would suggest changing your driving style or you will need to change your clutch.

 

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and advise. This issue was not noticable on my 89 3.2 Carrera. 215 vs. 400 hp sure makes a difference. Fortunately I am trainable...

 

No, you have to post like this:

HEY STEVE, HOW LONG IS ALMOST FOREVER!!!

 

Almost forever = just a matter of time

Seriously, sounds like you may be in the early stages of failure, if it starts to slip when fully engaged on hard throttle, then you better cut that out. At that point you can baby it for another 2-5k miles, but who wants to drive a car like ours in that manner?? Murphy's law will insure you will have to contend with some half baked hotrod in that condition and end up getting embarassed...and we can't have that!!!