marlinspike

I'm pretty sure the dealer tech who said the clutch is fine was fixing a leak and visually inpected the clutch.

mikesh

Hi,
Don't mean to jack the thread, but is the consensus that a heavy clutch is a sign that it's nearing the end of it's life? I'm asking because I've been looking at used 997/S, and I have no experience with Porsches or how their clutches feel, and a couple of cars that I test drove had very heavy clutches. And I was surprised that the "heaviness" of the clutches varied a lot between different cars.

Thanks for any reply.

gota911

In general, that would hold true that a heavy feeling clutch is more worn than a lighter feeling clutch.

If I were you, I would attempt to test drive a low mileage or new '08 car to get a feel for a new clutch. Then drive a car with higher miles to feel the relative difference. It should be noted that not all clutches will feel exactly the same, even right off the production line.

JDSStudios

I agree with our good friend Tim, and also:
what makes the clutch lighter in a new clutch job, is the new pressure plate,
which has the new spring built in.

I would check if they replaced the clutch, but NOT the pressure plate;
usually, when you buy a new clutch, pressure plate (which has the "tooth"
like spring, comes in the same package.

After replacing my clutch, my clutch was super light.
Soooo, it is not the clutch disk that makes it lighter, but the pressure plate
that comes with it, which has a spring right in the center.

JDSStudios

Here it is the brand new pressure plate on the left.
The spring bellow (center of the plate) is what lightens the clutch, not the actual clutch disk (on the right).
John

JDSStudios

Oooh! and here is the old clutch.
In case you are wondering, previous owner liked "spirited" driving.
This clutch had 40 000 Km.

The car now has 80 000 Km, and clutch still feels like brand new.
Also very light on the pedal.

gota911

WOW, that old clutch plate looks terrible. I am surprised that it was able to grab at all.

marlinspike

I should further add that the shift sloppiness doesn't feel like it's in the gearbox but in the shifter. Let's it's made from flexible plastic that isn't fit together properly (then again, I haven't popped the cover off, so maybe it is)

1999Porsche911

Funny how people can describe, even a bad Porsche clutch as being difficult to depress. Even a binding release bearing wouldn't make a hydraulic clutch as difficult to disengage as the old cable driven American muscle cars.

The hardness of the pedal is not an indication of anything being wrong by itself. It is the change in the pressure needed to depress the pedal that gives a clue that something is changing. As the disc wears, the angle of the release lever changes and, due to a reduction in leverage, there can be a slight increase in the effcort needed to disengage the clutch. Shafts can get dry requiring more effort. Air in the system or a bad slave/mc can also be the cause. You could also have a bad booster spring at the pedal.

It is also possible that there is no change in the pressure needed to depress the clutch pedal and that it is imaginary. This phanominom exists with the brake pedal as well. As we get used to using the pedal, it can appear that more pressure is needed to apply the brakes. Yet, when we just lightly touch the brake pedal with out left foot, we go through the windshield.

ivangene

<raises hand>
Umm, excuse me, but if you want a shifter, I know where there is one really really cheap! PM me if interested.

marlinspike

I wonder if that's it, as my dad says it was fine and then they fixed the cruise control and it stopped being fine. IIRC there is something around there that impacts the cruise control and maybe they mucked it up.

JDSStudios

It would vibrate while grabbing, but my fear was damage to the fly wheel.
It turned out to be fine.

Just before I decided to repair it, the Porsche service Manager took it for a
test drive, and his verdict was to "just drive it like that" !!

ivangene

Well that inspires a huge vote of confidence ehhh?
Then in the same breathe they say... "yea, but for sure get those muffler bearings replaced....." CHA CHING - $1700

gota911

Did you check ou the link I supplied in post #11? That (the booster spring) is what I was referencing in that post. The link shows a diagram of the clutch pedal and spring in post #4.

JDSStudios

Exactly; in this case, had I kept on driving, I would soon have to replace
the fly wheel.


Also, +1 on the booster spring check-up.