Kerrage

? Thanks!!!

TT Gasman

It should not do it all the time, but a little chatter now and then is not uncommon with the Sachs racing clutch.

adam_

Told by the seller?

DO NOT TRUST A WORD THE SELLING DEALER SAYS- they will lead you to believe whatever you need to believe to close the deal.

Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic, with a defined set of inspection items.

Macster

Agree with adam_. To state it another way: Everything a dealer tells you is intended to get you to pay as much for the car as possible and to buy the car right now.

Even stock with the Turbo's HP/torque the clutch needs to be quite robust. If you can find no reason to reject the car you should budget/allow for a clutch job and probably a new flywheel just to be safe and adjust your offer accordingly.

You'll probably have to go aftermarket to find one that can handle the hp/torque -- I assume the "550 package" refers to hp/torque gain and not something else?

Sincerely,

Macster.

Kerrage

Yes 550 means its at 550hp/575ftlbs. I took it to an independent Porsche dealer. They confirmed that there may be some "flat spots" on the flywheel and that regular proper driving should smooth it out.....They also new the previous owner and said he was a maintenance freak so nothing alarming has come from the previous owner. thanks guys

911RufRT

Are you from Vancouver? Did you buy this car from Ferrari? Which shop did your PPI?

The Ruf 550 does not have a lightweight flywheel, but there are Ruf specific parts in that clutch kit.

If you need the part numbers for the Ruf clutch kit let me know.

Macster

Well, not to put to fine a point on it, but in "confirming" there may be some "flat spots" on the flywheel and that with regular driving should smooth out, also confirms there may not "flat spots" but something else going on that accounts for the symptom you notice and the flywheel may not recover.

It also suggests this condition arose from receiving irregular driving...which sort of calls into question the comment the previous owner a maintenance freak and nothing alarming has come from the previous owner. He may be a maintenance freak, but the clutch's behavior I assume arose during his ownership and driving of the car.

I repeat, everything a dealer tells you is intended to get you to pay as much for the car as possible and to buy the car as soon as possible.

Blowing off some abnormal clutch judder as flat spots on the flywheel (the whole flywheel's active surface is flat, or should be) is just another variation of the attempt to get you to pay as much for the car as possible and to buy the car as soon as possible.

Will the independent Porsche dealer stand behind its claim and give you a warranty on the clutch/flywheel that with regular driving the operation of the clutch will improve and if it doesn't replace the clutch/flywheel?

Not saying the car's not worth owning. Not saying the symptoms you've encountered won't improve with use. Sometimes a clutch's action does improve but most often the condition just worsens.

Sincerely,

Macster.

unterbergamotten3

You can you ask the seller to warranty the clutch for x mls.
If they dont want to, one more indicator for you. You could also ask for them to take care of the issue as a condition of sale.
Money is tight these days and you have some to spend.. and they want the purchase. Enjoy your leverage.

adam_

Isn't a flywheel SUPPOSED to be FLAT???

That dealer will NOT pay to replace the clutch when (suprise, suprise) there is not improvement after 5k miles of 'proper breakin'.

Assume you need a new clutch, flywheel and pressure plate- and plan your purchase price accordingly.

parsonii

"car chatters in first and reverse" and a ppi said that "proper driving will smooth it out". ummmmmmm ya. don't buy the car till the seller fixes it. there are some really great cars out there and i certainly wouldn't buy it because it's a ruf 550. have you seen the dyno on that ruf car?

Kerrage

Hey 996 carrera. I am from Calgary but yes I am buying it from Ferrari. Any insite on that clucth would be great.

Whats up with the dyno parsonii?

I appreciate everything guys. I am flying out this weekend to testdrive....and see what that clucth is actually all about. I had it inspected by a independent Porsche and they said chatter can be ok but NO slippage so will see....I also contaced Hans RAC Center (former RUF dealer) in dallas Tx and they said chatter can sometimes occur due to the High hp and the specific clutch...but I still agree with you guys if I was buying it brand new for over 200K I would not stand for a chattery clutch!

parsonii

about the dyno --- there are a lot of claims that tuners make about the putative increase in horsepower. my point is don't take anyone's word for it, even ruf's. it's worth noting that ruf's tunning packages don't hold the same sway in the 996tt world as they do in the 993tt world.

TT Gasman

Does RAC know this car? Ruf keeps a record of all the VINs, you should be able to get a lot of info on the car. Ruf is a manufacturer, their stated HP is spot on.

Kerrage

Yes spoke with RAC...They new the car very well....The seller actually had a lot of history too.....I BOUGHT IT!!!! this weekend...Everything seemed solid...chatter turned out to be quite minor...Car is super fun super fast....My first Porsche....thanks for all your input guys!!!

Macster

Ain't nothing like seeing the car in person and driving the car.

Congrats.

Now about them pics...

Sincerely,

Macster.