Anomaly

Hey guys. First post, bear with me. I just bought a 1999 Carrera 2 manual. On my drive down to pick it up the owner calls all frantic saying the clutch is all messed up. The peddle is about an inch from the floor, it is engaging and releasing the clutch, so it's drive able. I negotiated a $2000 off the selling price and feel fine with the purchase. I get it home and there is a small leak from the bell housing. I monitor the fluid reservoir for a couple weeks, barely dropping at all. Ordered a Slave and Power Bleeder. After changing the slave the leak is gone. But the clutch peddle still engages and disengages at the very bottom of the peddle. I have bled it 4 times with the peddle depressed before doing anything and the rear brakes once. There isn't any air in the system. I think it may be the Master causing this and the slave was just leaking without giving any issues. However, I hate to just throw parts at this. Any help would be appreciated.

Weazer

Perhaps a broken clutch lever pivot ball/point inside the bell housing?

yelcab

It's time to spend that $2K you negotiated.

Anomaly

It could be. I really hope not. I don't want to take the trans out.

DBJoe996

Sorry to say but you are going to have to do it...or have a local Indy do it. Something is broken. Like you said, maybe get a new master cylinder first. Easier than pulling the transmission.

Weazer

I experienced a similar problem, albeit on a 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 (loved that car). It was front engine with a transaxle in the back with a DeDion tube. Anyway, clutch pedal went super low but still actuated the clutch so the car was still drivable, and no fluid leaking out from under the transaxle. Took the transaxle out and sure enough, ball had broken off the clutch lever pivot point, The clutch lever, however, was now pivoting on the remaining stem of the broken off ball. I'm afraid the only remedy would be to remove your transmission to service this part. You may want to confirm this diagnosis by removing the clutch slave cylinder and see if you can get a small mirror in there to shine a flashlight on and get a view of the ball/pivot point as its only an inch or two from where the clutch slave goes into the bell housing. Some free advice: if this diagnosis is confirmed, also replace your clutch lever as, well as the pivot ball, as they have been known to fracture/fail. Matter of fact, take a good look at that as well with your mirror/flashlight as that may also be the source of you low clutch pedal. Unfortunately, servicing the clutch lever would also implicate removing the transmission. Best of luck.

Anomaly

I ordered a master and a scope today. There is no way I’m taking that slave back off. It was such a pain to instal. But there is a hole in the bottom of the bell housing I can snake the scope into. If the ball is broken, I think I’m going to just buy a lift a suck it up.

DBJoe996

The thing is...the 99 C2 pivot arm and ball pivot has been upgraded. Superseded with new parts because of problems with the original. When you get new parts, they will include the new part numbers/upgraded parts.

sgt1372

$2k wasn't enough. $5k would have been better but still might not cover it. The seller got off cheap IMO. Oh well . . .

Porschetech3

Got any repair history on the car?

Any clutch out procedures on it withing the last year or so?

Another common problem with low clutch engagement is clutch pressure plate bolts coming loose. If they were not properly torqued , they can become loose within a year or so. Porsche even had a problem with this on the 997's from the Factory and a TSB was issued. Porsche Spec 17ft/lbs, my Spec 23 ft/lbs..

golock911

I'm missing part of the story. Did you ever know that the clutch pedal was OK? Or, did you buy the car unseen and the guy told you after the sale that the clutch was bad. If it was OK and is now bad, did the guy tell you how it happened? One last joy ride is my bet.

One thing the Bentley manual specifically states is to have the clutch pedal depresses when bleeding it. Is this to eliminate the possibility of trapped air in the master cylinder? Just the right amount of air in the master(or anywhere) would certainly lead to a low engagement pedal.

Sorry, WAG. Good luck and hope for inexpensive fix.

<edit>Oh! I just re-read your first message... Nevermind about the bleeding. You've already done this. Maybe I go to bed now.

Michael Petersen

Hate it when I log onto forums with problems but no conclusion!

RngTrtl

this thread is almost two years old...

808Bill

Clutch and pressure plate fixed mine...

Michael Petersen

To close out on my problem...

Had installed new single mass flywheel with non OEM spring friction disk. When depressed, contact was happening between the pressure plate springs and friction disk springs preventing full disengagement.

Corner case and only applicable for rare instances.