Mike J

I did a search and the discussions of this seem to be all over the place, mostly driven by higher HP cars.

The clutch on my stock 97 Turbo is riding high, and from my records has never been replaced - so it has 55,000 miles on it. There is no slip but it has a very slight judder at times, so it fine and perfectly drivable for now. The chances that I would upgrade the turbos/engine is pretty well zero, so a new clutch would have to handle the teeny 400HP this car has.

I have a few options, wait until it blows or be proactive and do it this winter - but regardless I would like to have my options ready.

There seems to be a few options:

1 - Get a kit from FD - LWF, turbo PP and disk

2 - Get a kit from Kevin - LWF, not sure of the PP or disk, but appears to be Sachs performance discs and pressure plate.

3 - Get a kit from Gert - LWF, Rennsport pressure plate, Rennsport clutch, light weight flywheel, Starter ring, Bearings, tube and bolts.

4 - Get a kit from Sunset - here is the parts list from Sunset for a RS Clutch for the Turbo (only part different they quote is the pressure plate from the NA clutch):

• Flywheel 96410223931
• 993t Pressure Plate 96411602853
• Ring gear 96411414331
• Pilot bearing 931110211100
• Flywheel bolts(9) 92810215101
• Clutch disc 99611601532
• Clutch bolts (9) 90006710301
• Throw out bearing 94411608001
• Guide sleeve 95011681330

The variant appears to be the clutch disk and pressure plate.

With my current setup, the stock Turbo pressure plate has run fine, so is it worth continuing on with that or changing to something stronger?

Searching previous discussions, it appears better to run a hardier clutch disk than the stock one - like the Sachs Performance "GT2" disk, or the GT3RS disk ( as mentioned by Kevin) - but most of the cars in those discussions were upgraded and putting out quite a bit more power than my car.

However, I would like to switch to a lightweight flywheel, so the decision has to be based on that.

This stuff looks like a bit of voodoo to me - lots of opinions being expressed, and everyone seems to have variants on the theme.

What are people actually running out there on stock 993TT's that appears to both work and have good longevity?

Cheers,

Mike

ScottMellor

What is this thing you write "A stock 993TT"?
I am not understanding those words.

Anyway I can recommend the Andial mid-weight clutch and flywheel. (No stalling or drivability issues.)
I have had it in both of my 993 Turbos.

Quadcammer

I'd stick with the stock disk and pressure plate (if they work with the LWF, don't see why not).

They hold the power fine, last a long time with proper driving and provide forgiving clutch application (which is good for the drivetrain).

Texas993

Mike,

I have Kevin's kit on my car and am pleased with it. When I did the comparison and decided to switch to a LWF, I found his components and pricing to be the best. However, Kevin has not sent me my turbo sump lines in over a year (already paid for), so I cannot endorse his delivery schedule.

Mike J

I am very easy on clutches and the drivetrain - and I know about Kevin's inability to deliver on the lines. If I was unable to produce something I would apologize and refund the money. That is why I am shying away from him - although I bought his check valve kit last year with no issues.

So what exactly is in Kevin's kit that makes it magic?

Cheers

Mike

Texas993

Mike, I really don't remember why his was best. That was 2 years ago for me and I am not at home to look at my notes and the packing list.

I do remember getting a good LWF, pressure plate and clutch, and I think they were all OEM Porsche parts, mostly from a GT3 RS. I could be off a bit.

As you may remember, I do not have an assisted clutch on my car. The LWF set up has a stiffer clutch pedal. I really like it as it is not too stiff. A few guys at RAC prefer the feel to the assisted turbo clutch. Having never had an assisted clutch, I don't have a preference. But I like the way that mine feels! That was all useless information.

Droops83

Mike,

The parts that you listed are all correct. If you are positive that you will not be increasing HP, the stock pressure plate will be perfectly fine. You do need to change the clutch disc to the sprung-hub type 996 GT3 RS disc that you have listed. This is the exact same disc that Kevin's kit uses and that my shop has used in any 964 or 993 LWF conversion, whether NA or turbo, stock or modified engine.

If you DO plan on increasing HP down the road, use the Sachs Motorsports pressure plate. It has a lot more clamping force and is even lighter than the stock PP. The hydroboost slave cylinder makes any heavier pedal concerns irrelevant. We used this setup (which I believe is the same as Kevin's) on both of our former resident Andial 3.8TTs, both of which were heavily tracked and held up well. I can get you the part # for the pressure plate tomorrow after I get back to the shop.

The bottom line is, do the LWF conversion! It really wakes up the engine, and makes it much more fun to drive.

Mike J

Thanks Chris! Yup, no argument about the flywheel for sure - it will be RS style.

Do you think with a stock setup, would the Sachs Motorsports PP and the 996 GT3 RS disk actually last longer AND allow for modifications if those happen? (that might cause me to rationalize the "upgrade" which I assume costs more ... need to check into that).

I really appreciate the straight answer - what you said makes perfect sense. Part numbers would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Mike

dbf73

I may be doing the clutch in the near future, not because it needs one but because the engine is likely coming out to fix an oil leak. My car is a true daily driver and I wonder about the suitability of the LWF for such. If you stick with the stock setup, is there a need to replace the flywheel assuming it is not scored etc? Car has 80k

No HTwo O

Doug, I have the LWF and really like it. Mine is not a DD but I can't see this being an issue. You'll get the hang of the LWF within the first few stop lights/signs. I could argue you'll adjust faster than most since your drive the car more than someone like me who takes the car out every other weekend.

Anyone doing the clutch, should always spend the extra $30 and buy a new RMS.

With 80K miles, the engine out, and a new clutch, yes, I think you should replace the flywheel "while you are in there". The costs of the parts is minimal compared to the labor you are already spending to pull the engine and access that area.

Droops83

I don't think that the motorsport pressure plate would make the clutch last longer, but it will allow for future modifications without slipping.

The Sachs part # is 88 3082 999 764.

There are 2 different issues with re-using a factory dual-mass flywheel when the clutch is changed. First, if the surface is scored, it cannot be resurfaced due to the the rubber dampener between the 2 halves not allowing for accurate machining. You run the risk of chatter during engagement with a new disc. The clutch disc wears into the the flywheel and actually transfers a layer of friction material into the flywheel surface, just like when bedding in new brake pads into a rotor. If this layer of friction material is uneven, chattering can occur.

Also, the rubber dampener material itself can wear out, causing clunking when loading/unloading the drivetrain. A bad DMF dampener can also cause phantom misfire fault codes on 993s, due to the misfire detection system being fairly primitive (it uses a Hall sensor in the distributor instead of more accurate camshaft position sensors to determine which cylinder is firing).

In short, replace your dual mass flywheel, or even better upgrade to the LWF. You will not regret it.

Marshy

Really surprised to hear this Patrick. Did Kevin give a reason for the delay ?

Geoff