I am going to try to go into as much detail here with the issues I was/am having in case I'm misguided in what's wrong with the car. For reference my car is stock (except for lightweight wheels) and is my daily driver (1 and only car). I'm currently in the Portland, OR area. I hope you guys can help, but if not at least I'll have successfully vented about these frustrations.

History: Car sat for 2 months plugged in and then was driven around town for a week or two before this started. I replaced just the accumulator last year (only a month after purchasing the car) when I started to get that spongy clutch pedal feel.

Symptoms:
I started the car and was bringing the revs up and letting the clutch out, but the car didn't want to move (as if the clutch was not engaging). If I pumped the clutch a couple times, brought the car into neutral and then back to 1st or reverse, it would work. As I've driven the car this has only gotten worse and have had to retry to get the thing going as many as 3-4 times just the other day.
When this is happening sometimes I also get a weird feeling in the clutch pedal where it's reluctant to go all the way to the floor and is very tough but only at the last 10-15% of its travel. If I can get the car to engage and get going, this will not occur on that particular try (only when it's being reluctant to move).

Another issue is that pentosin seems to be flowing freely on top of the plastic panel on the driver's side as well as leaking down on some hoses and even a bundle of wires. It's been enough to get all the way to the garage floor on the one day I skipped driving it. It worries me given what I've heard about how this stuff kills rubber.

I told myself after replacing the clutch accumulator last year that if this stuff broke again I'd just do the conversion and be done with the headache.

Talked first with Kevin @ UMW on the off chance he would do the conversion. I didn't even get the chance to ask before he shared his dim view of this mod and warned me that it could hurt my resale value. He also stated that if the slave is gone then the accumulator was stressed and both should be replaced in tandem.

I got quoted $1100 parts and labor from a local independent (Matrix Integrated) just for a slave replacement alone. Their tech said if I replaced just the accumulator last year there should be no reason why I'd need to replace both this time. They'll warrantee their work for 1 year and also don't see the point of the GT2 conversion.

Sunset Imports (a local Porsche dealer) quoted me about $1700 parts and labor for both a slave and accumulator replacement and said both should be done together. They also will rent me a car for a few days and will warrantee their work for 2 years.

I also talked to Alex from Sharkwerks about this, and he quoted me around $1700 parts and labor for a GT2 slave conversion, so now I'm just weighing my options.

It seems that comments on the GT2 conversion range all the way from stupid and unnecessary to one of the best improvements one can make to the car (depending on who you talk to). I'm hoping there isn't something else entirely wrong with my car as well.

If I go the GT2 slave route I hope there's a shop that's done them in the PNW and I don't have to road trip all the way to Sharkwerks on a bad slave (but willing to drive for the right reasons). Matrix has a Turbo in its shop with a GT2 conversion, so I may just drive over there tomorrow morning to try it out and at least get my oil changed and get looked at. I'm reluctant to drive the car anywhere that isn't directly to get it repaired (given how quickly the situation has worsened).

Anyone have any input? I know this was long so I appreciate anyone taking the time to read it over.

 

I'll give my opinion. I just did the GT2 conversion...Although not the best mod I've done, I am happy with the results. The clutch engagement is more predictable and smooth. Pl;us I don't have top worry about pentosin or another slave/accumulator failing.

 

Who did the work? I also notice you have a LWFW and a different clutch, but I'm unsure of how that would affect GT2 slave mod feel.

I have driven a Techart modified 996 Carrera Cab which had a much stiffer clutch than my stock Turbo X50, but it never bugged me. It's just weird driving one car for any length of time and then getting in the other. Coming from the Cab to the Turbo my clutch felt like it had zero resistance and was ridiculously light and devoid of feel. Going the other direction (used to the Turbo) the Cab felt like its clutch was very heavy. I suppose it's all in what your brain and body is used to.

 

I just did the GT2 conversion. LOVE IT!

 

The conversion is totally worth it.

 

Conversion all the way. Why put parts back in that are known to fail. Get rid of all that hydraulic assist crap. It'll fail even quicker when and if you upgrade your clutch as I hear that stronger pressure plates put more stress on the accumulater. Just did the conversion myself along with the new clutch and couldn't be happier. That was one of my biggest pet peeves on the turbo was the clutch pedal feel. Don't worry about resale value that's ridiculous anyone who knows anything about these cars would be much happier with a turbo that had this coversion done as they'll see how much better engagement is. And you will too.

 

I agree with the all the positive comments on this mod. Don't listen to that negative talk. The OEM clutch is just plain bad - it's prone to failure, behaves inconsistently and lacks feel. I noticed it from the day I picked my car up in '02.

 

I think most here will advise you the GT2 slave mod is the ay to go, With that being said there is a great DIY thread here that gearhead posted. Good luck.

 

Whose kit did you use? How much did Eurosport charge to do the work?

 

GT2 slave conversion and never bother with it again. Plus the car becomes so much better and easier to drive properly.

GSR Autosport in Lake Forest will do it right.

 

TTurbRon said it right. I just did it only 100 miles ago and like it so much more than the soft stock set-up. But I also did a stage 3+ Sachs clutch and Aasco LWFW since I have mods. You may or may not want to go that route depending on your future plans (now is the perfect time), but by all means do the GT2 conversion. I also just now installed an RSS clutch pedal stop and it really improved hitting the engagement point every time perfectly.

 

Any price point for parts/labor from GSR autosport?

 

Why is now the perfect time? Also this bill just for the conversion or parts replacement is already a lot more than I'd want to part with right now (no choice),and a new clutch and lwfw are going to cost me a kidney. I'd love to have coilovers, a flash and an exhaust too but it seems the car is costing me enough bone stock.

 

you can buy the parts required for the gt2 conversion on ebay and from dgreen78 on this site for less than 500 bucks I have just done so plus added a braided hose from Torque Soloutions. have not had it fitted yet but doubt that it will cost more than 200 bucks and all this is being done in Australia where nothing is cheap when the word Porsche is mentioned. Buy your own parts from Ebay and don green use the thread from here and either fit yourself or get any shop to fit it. Then be happy it was cheap and easy. 1700 you can buy a good set of new high flow coolers for that.

 

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