987 & 981 clutch pedal travel
Discussion
I drove a 987 and a 981 and found the clutch pedal travel to be much longer than what I'm used (ie longer than Miata, both gen 86es and I think even 370Z). To the point that it felt like I can't find a good seating position: I have to sit very close to be able to push the pedal all the way in, but when it's released, then it's too close to me so I have to bend my knee more than is comfortable.
1) is there a way to shorten that travel?
2) is it the same in the 997?
1) is there a way to shorten that travel?
2) is it the same in the 997?
Leverage.
These cars need a strong diaphragm spring in the clutch in order to deliver a decent service life without the lining getting burnt out. A strong spring needs a good shove from the slave cylinder - which means a decent amount of hydraulic fluid moving through the system. To move that significant amount of fluid you need either a very heavy clutch pedal or a very long travel - or a combination of the two. Hence the compromise Porsche adopted.
If you want a featherlight clutch you'll need to buy a different kind of car, i.e. less "performance" orientated.
Clutch issues are among the many reasons there are so few manual transmission sports cars on sale these days. The higher the power/torque the more problematic the clutch installation, particularly in the context of buyers expecting 100,000 mile service life.
These cars need a strong diaphragm spring in the clutch in order to deliver a decent service life without the lining getting burnt out. A strong spring needs a good shove from the slave cylinder - which means a decent amount of hydraulic fluid moving through the system. To move that significant amount of fluid you need either a very heavy clutch pedal or a very long travel - or a combination of the two. Hence the compromise Porsche adopted.
If you want a featherlight clutch you'll need to buy a different kind of car, i.e. less "performance" orientated.
Clutch issues are among the many reasons there are so few manual transmission sports cars on sale these days. The higher the power/torque the more problematic the clutch installation, particularly in the context of buyers expecting 100,000 mile service life.
Panamax said:
Leverage.
These cars need a strong diaphragm spring in the clutch in order to deliver a decent service life without the lining getting burnt out. A strong spring needs a good shove from the slave cylinder - which means a decent amount of hydraulic fluid moving through the system. To move that significant amount of fluid you need either a very heavy clutch pedal or a very long travel - or a combination of the two. Hence the compromise Porsche adopted.
If you want a featherlight clutch you'll need to buy a different kind of car, i.e. less "performance" orientated.
Clutch issues are among the many reasons there are so few manual transmission sports cars on sale these days. The higher the power/torque the more problematic the clutch installation, particularly in the context of buyers expecting 100,000 mile service life.
Thanks for the explanation. The only other high HP car I've driven is 370Z, which has similar HP and I'm pretty sure the amount of travel was shorter and (it feels like, not so sure about that) the weighting was lighter than the Caymans. Can you comment on that? Did I misjudge it or did Nissan do something differently behind the scenes?These cars need a strong diaphragm spring in the clutch in order to deliver a decent service life without the lining getting burnt out. A strong spring needs a good shove from the slave cylinder - which means a decent amount of hydraulic fluid moving through the system. To move that significant amount of fluid you need either a very heavy clutch pedal or a very long travel - or a combination of the two. Hence the compromise Porsche adopted.
If you want a featherlight clutch you'll need to buy a different kind of car, i.e. less "performance" orientated.
Clutch issues are among the many reasons there are so few manual transmission sports cars on sale these days. The higher the power/torque the more problematic the clutch installation, particularly in the context of buyers expecting 100,000 mile service life.
Edited by turboLP on Tuesday 17th December 11:41
turboLP said:
370Z, which has similar HP and I'm pretty sure the amount of travel was shorter and (it feels like, not so sure about that) the weighting was lighter than the Caymans. Can you comment on that?
Just depends how hefty a spring there is in the clutch and what mechanical leverage is applied via the pedal. It's possible Porsche engineer their cars to be able to stand up to track use while Nissan build their cars primarily for more normal road use. Arguably people who buy Porsches expect to be able to use their car's performance regularly without it falling apart. Use the long throw clutch when you need to, they provide a foot rest for when you don't. You don't need to keep your left leg lifted.
981clutch pedal is pretty light in my opinion, aside from GT4, but even that one doesn't take too long to get used to.
PDK was forced on me by my latest purchase, but I still have a daily Cayman with a clutch. It's a delight.
Liam
981clutch pedal is pretty light in my opinion, aside from GT4, but even that one doesn't take too long to get used to.
PDK was forced on me by my latest purchase, but I still have a daily Cayman with a clutch. It's a delight.
Liam
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