Hey all, just got my forst Porsche 2002 a 996 TT. What a blast it has been to drive!!! I really like it but am having a problem with the clutch. It engages really high. I have long legs and decent size feet that seems to compound the issue. Did a search on this but only found one thread from 2005.

Is it possible to adjust the engagement point???

 

No adjustment AFAIK.

A high engagement point is relative. How high is high? A bit over mid-point is about where the clutch in my 03 Turbo enages. Ditto my 02 Boxster.

The engagement point of my 03 Turbo's clutch is a bit higher than some cars I have driven (but about the same as the engagement point of my 02 Boxster) and what I found helped was to move the seat back a bit further than I usually like. Also lower the seat bottom and cut down on the rise of the bottom at the front of seat.

Adjusting the seat this way causes my legs to be extended more than usual and my left leg just happens to be a bit more sensitive/controllable slightly extended. Thus the slightly higher engagement point is not an issue.

Be sure the clutch (and brake) fluid has been flushed/bled recently. This is supposed to get done every 2 years. A flush/bleed can improve the clutch's action besides getting rid of fluid that might have water build up in it.

Check the accumulator. With the steering wheel straight ahead and with the tranny in neutral and the clutch pedal depressed start the engine and release the pedal. Let the engine run 20 seconds. Shut off the engine.

Fully depress the clutch pedal and release it. Repeat this operation. Count the number of times you can do this before the clutch pedal gets really hard to depress. Numbers vary but if you can't get 20 or more pedal presses/releases the accumulator is suspect.

Once the pedal gets hard, start the engine again. Shut it off after 20 seconds. The pedal should once again be easy to depress.

Also, note the next time the car sits unused overnight if when you get in the car and if you find the pedal hard to depress the accumulator is not holding pressure after the engine has been shut off.

Watch for signs of fluid stain showing up on the plastic panel just under the trunk cover. If the clutch slave cylinder starts to go bad it can cause fluid to leak from the reservior under this cover. The fluid is particularly nasty stuff so you want to catch this before much gets anywhere.

Oh, even though the engagement point may be a bit higher than other cars I have over 86K miles on my Turbo's original clutch. (And over 250K miles on my Boxster's original clutch...)

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

Assume your clutch is suspect as you have a high mileage car.. You may be due for an fresh one. Go out and see if you can make the clutch slip. Drive say at 30 miles in 6th gear and accelerate briskly.. If the engine revs up nicely but the car does not speed up.. you know what is coming next ..

 

Also note that with the hydraulic assist on the 996TT clutch, it's a little harder to get a good feel for the clutch engagement point (at least it was for me). It gets better with time as you get use to it. I'm thinking about ditching the hydraulic assist when it's time to replace the clutch -- but since I do drive in traffic sometimes, I haven't decided yet if that's the right way to go.

 

Hey,Simple trick to help...Take the clutch pedal booster spring out...It will feel better....If you dont like it,just put it back in...

 

I think it would be better to test it by putting it in 4th at 30 mph...

 

Thanks for the tip. I might try that out. Is it pretty easy to do (any quick instructions available)? Any special tools needed?

 

Thanks for the tip. Did a search for clutch pedal spring and didn't find anything. Is this pretty easy to take out?

 

I found a little more on it, seems like there are mixed reviews. I think I might try it on the weekend and see how it is.

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...matically.html

 

Very good info in this thread. Sounds like it's not that easy to take out and replace. Since I don't stall the car (although I wouldn't mind a little better clutch engagement feel), I'll hold off on this. Let us know how it works for you if you decide to try it.

 

I'm going to try it as well. Let me know how it goes for you. My first mod

 

Guys, I just did this and boy does the car feel better now. I can't believe Porsche put the spring in there in the first place!

 

I am glad it worked for you..I tell others about it and they are afraid it will be to stiff with out it...

 

I did the spring removal several months ago. You only notice the difference for a week or less. It makes a big difference in feel and I actually forgot I did it!

 

No more stalls and I can actually launch! It's a fun car.