Clutch

[Chablonski]

Morning all, I have a Cayman S 2006 50,000 miles although the clutch is working fine,when gently resting my foot on the pedal there a strange vibration,is this the start of something sinister?

[Trev450]

I wouldn't have thought so. So long as its not making any noises or of course, slipping, then I'd forget about it.

[Rockster]

Chablonski said:

Morning all, I have a Cayman S 2006 50,000 miles although the clutch is working fine,when gently resting my foot on the pedal there a strange vibration,is this the start of something sinister?

Yes, premature clutch wear. Rest your foot on the floor mat. If it wears out, the mat is cheaper to replace than the clutch.

Oh, I might add while the driver's side floor mat in my 02 Boxster has a hole worn in it, the clutch is original. And with just over 285K miles. Keep your left foot on the floor when you are not working the clutch.

[Ozzie Osmond]

The "thrust bearing" or "throw-out bearing" is the heart of clutch operation. When the clutch pedal is depressed, the throw-out bearing moves toward the flywheel, pushing in the pressure plate's release fingers and moving the pressure plate fingers or levers against pressure plate spring force. This action moves the pressure plate away from the clutch disc, interrupting power flow.

If you have your foot lightly on the clutch you will be causing that bearing to spin without actually disengaging the clutch plate. This will cause wear in the bearing. [In much the same way, driving with your hand lightly on the gear lever can cause wear in the synchromesh]

If the bearing is worn then you can feel any vibrations in it through the clutch pedal in much the same way that any imperfections on a brake disc can be felt through the brake pedal.

Two tips:
1. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
2. Once you open a clutch for repair you might as well replace the whole thing.