993 Clutch Costs

[ian_dorrian]

I am currently having a heavy clutch and squeaky release bearing fettled on my 993 today.

It has worn out in a frightening 6000 miles and is the cars second clutch from new. It is definitely an OPC fitted new clutch kit (incidentally recalled for warranty work on notchy pedal after 3 months by Porsche Centre Birmingham) but it was done three years ago and the OPC won't entertain a claim against them for dodgy parts/labour.

Yes thats 1000 miles per year by the previous owner making the car an absolute garage queen before I bought it...

...and since I have only done 3000 miles on it since I purchased the car in March, the dealer has agreed to have it sorted by coming to an arrangement as a sign of good will (50:50 split) if its not all their fault, but if it is, they pick up the full tab.

If the well known independent doing the work at the bequest of the supplying dealer, decides I must bear part of the cost, it would be useful if I knew how much you guys have paid for a replacement clutch on your 993's.

So research has shown that JZ Machtech (not doing the work) quote £825 plus VAT on their website.

Any advance on that?

Cheers,

Ian D

>>> Edited by ian_dorrian on Wednesday 7th July 11:11

[vic cohen]

ian_dorrian said:

I am currently having a heavy clutch and squeaky release bearing fettled on my 993 today. It has worn out in a frightening 6000 miles and is the cars second clutch from new. It is definitely an OPC fitted new clutch kit (incidentally recalled for warranty work on notchy pedal after 3 months by Porsche Centre Birmingham) but it was done three years ago and the OPC won't entertain a claim against them for dodgy parts/labour. Yes thats 1000 miles per year by the previous owner making the car an absolute garage queen before I bought it... ...and since I have only done 3000 miles on it since I purchased the car in March, the dealer has agreed to have it sorted by coming to an arrangement as a sign of good will (50:50 split) if its not all their fault, but if it is, they pick up the full tab. If the well known independent doing the work at the bequest of the supplying dealer, decides I must bear part of the cost, it would be useful if I knew how much you guys have paid for a replacement clutch on your 993's. So research has shown that JZ Machtech (not doing the work) quote £825 plus VAT on their website. Any advance on that? Cheers, Ian D >>> Edited by ian_dorrian on Wednesday 7th July 11:11

6000 miles in what period of time ? Soggy springs sometimes not unheard of after longish periods of inactivity presume both cylinders checked ?

[clubsport]

6k is no miles to finish a clutch, maybe the release bearing has dried out? but they should last 20k+ miles in silence. Did they actually replace all of it the first time round?
jz cost is about right, I had a new clutch fitted on monday not far off that price.

[ian_dorrian]

3k miles over 3 years after new clutch done in 2001 (A full 48K service has actually been done every year as the annual service since )

Then I bought in March and have done 3K since then.

[clubsport]

Ian,,,did you modify the car? or the previous owner? maybe that is something to do with the short clutch life?

Unless it is a spurious rolling road, it is very unlikely a standard 3.6 C4S will put out 297bhp at the engine.

[MOD500]

Its not the master cylinder is it?

Best Regards


MOD.

[ian_dorrian]

Chris @ G Force commented at the time that he had seen a completely standard unchipped C4 do over 290, but mine certainly seems to be at the top of the normal range. On the rolling road day all the Turbo 4's came in on the money or a little bit under and GuyR's GT2 (unRUFed was on the nail), so I am confident that that reading wasn't spurious.

The car is standard in terms of obvious stuff like filters and exhausts (and I want to keep it that way) but the spuriously high rolling road does point to the potential for a chip having being fitted at some point before I bought it.

I have a very complete history on the car but no record of a chip at all. Maybe Stuttgart QC had an off day and I got a strong engine?

Is 15bhp extra really going to mullah a clutch though?





>> Edited by ian_dorrian on Wednesday 7th July 11:52

[clubsport]

no agree 15bhp on it's own shouldn't make much difference...I just wondered if the car had been modded,as to my mind modded cars tend to get driven harder..or why not leave as standard? I reckon i could finish a clutch off in 3-5000 track miles.
Hope you get it sorted, at least you will have a new clutch at the end of the day

[JohnM993c4]

Clutch should certainly last an awful lot longer than that! Mine had 48,000 miles and 6 track days (just under 1000 track miles) on it when I sold the car and was still going strong, have seen plenty of Rennlist reports of clutches with much higher mileages (some in to 6 figures) showing no signs of giving up the ghost. Something must be pretty messed up to kill the clutch in 6000 miles. Did the previous owner have a really, really, really steep driveway?

[ian_dorrian]

Engine was just being split from gearbox last night when I called for an update so I should get some news this morning.

I personally think the last clutch wasn't fitted properly, I have heard stories of wrong grease on the release bearing, knackered slave cyslinders, to worn release levers causing similar problems. Either way it needs sorting.

I will post later today with a full update...

[ian_dorrian]

Well the plot thickens.

All parties (Self, independent specialist & supplying dealer) agree on two things:

1. Clutch is down to the rivets (thankfully not on DMF side)
2. There is a distinct possibility (although no firm proof) that it wasn't a new clutch that had been fitted

Well the date stamps on the parts don't lie and whilst the dealer and I have come to a mutually agreeable arrangement over the bill, we both feel that something fishy happened in 2001.

Ah well, a least I had a dealer to fall back on, which I wouldn't have had in a private sale and I now definitely have a new clutch, squeak free release bearing and lovely light pedal.

>> Edited by ian_dorrian on Thursday 8th July 13:22