GreigM

Hi all, wonder if you can shed some light on my clutch...

At the weekend I took the car for its annual govt. inspection (called the MoT test here in the UK - basically a safety check). The tester said to me he thought I needed a new clutch - I didn't ask him why at the time, but now wish I had.

So my question is this - what are the signs that your clutch is worn and needs to be replaced? To me the car drives fine - sometimes crunches going into 3rd gear, but I've been told this is common on Mk1s - all other gears are fine. I can't detect any slipping of the clutch.

The car is a Mk1 clubsport with the lightweight flywheel arrangement.

Also, is there any potential for damage etc if I don't get the clutch replaced before it starts slipping? I had always figured I just wait until I detect a bit of slip and replace it and that would be sufficient.

Finally - does anyone have any clue if the clutch on a GT3 is difficult to replace (as opposed to other 911s)? Roughly how many hours labour? And how much are the parts (prices in any currency would be good, just to give me an idea).

Thanks...

Mr. C4

Greig,

To see if the clutch is gone, cruise in 4th gear at around 60km/h and floor it. If the cluch is bad it will start to slip!!

I had my clutch and flywheel replaced in December 2003 (abuse from previous owner) and parts and labour came out to approx. EUR 1600.- (parts approx. EUR 1000 and EUR 600 in labour, approx. 10 hours labour) I was told that the Clubsport single mass flywheel overheats easier in stop-go traffic and is more prone to wear out together with the clutch!?

Ciao,

Johannes E.

GreigM

Thanks Johannes - I'm pretty sure the clutch doesn't slip in any revs - wonder if it was just the change in noise that made him think that, or he probably crunched it into third if it was cold, or he didn't have the clutch in far enough. I think I'll ignore it just now until I actually feel there is a problem.

mooty

for most modern cars, bimmer, M96 engined 996's, even 993's the clutch are very light and easy to operate. as they age, the self adjusting clutch gets stiffer and harder to depress. the GT3 clutch is stiff even when new. some people not used to it may thing it's worn out.

GreigM

Thanks guys - dropped to around 35mph (approx 60km/h) in 4th gear and floored the accelerator as Johannes suggested - car pulled absolutely fine (and quite impressively). I think I'll ignore the advice of this "grease monkey" for now...