Clutch life

[DavidL]

How many miles would you expect a clutch to last and what sort of bills are likely to get one replaced?
DL

 

[Fen]

Replacement is anything from £600 to £1,000 depending on model (early Turbo is most expensive) and if things like crank sensors get damaged removing them. Mileage depends on use and driving style. My cab had 192,500 miles on it when I sold it and I think it was on the original clutch, but it had spent its life on the motorway. Similarly my Turbo had 152,000 miles on it when the engine was pulled out and although the clutch wasn't slipping it was down to the rivets, which were biting into the flywheel rather than slip.

 

[sawood12]

How long is a piece of string? Depends on alot of things but upto and maybe over 80k miles if you respect it. It also depends upon what part of the clutch lets go first. If it's basic wearing of the clutch plates then you will get plenty of warning (i.e. clutch slippage) before you need to replace, however if somehing else goes like a spring, bearing or the rubber bung thingy in the S2 clutches then failure might happen more abruptly.

I think you should assume £600 ish for a replacement at a specialist which includes the clutch replacement kit which is about £350. It's quite a labour intensive job I believe.

 

[944cabby]

ORIGINAL: Fen

Replacement is anything from £600 to £1,000 depending on model (early Turbo is most expensive) and if things like crank sensors get damaged removing them. Mileage depends on use and driving style. My cab had 192,500 miles on it when I sold it and I think it was on the original clutch, but it had spent its life on the motorway. Similarly my Turbo had 152,000 miles on it when the engine was pulled out and although the clutch wasn't slipping it was down to the rivets, which were biting into the flywheel rather than slip.

That's a similar situation to mine s2cab but i had it done at about 90-95k as it was juddering quite badly especially deccellerating.
The mechanic that did it reckoned it was well worn and had it been left much longer the flywheel would have been damaged.

 

[dlknight]

Had mine replaced at 165k miles, I believe this was the original clutch as there were no previous receipts for it and it was the older rubber centre type.

Got the clutch kit (Genuine OE Sachs) from Bert at Berlyn Services, had it fitted by PH Sportscars near Derby.

Cheers

Dave K.

 

[Diver944]

I ran a poll on clutch life a few years ago which may shed some light:

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=8697&mpage=1&key=clutch&#8697

My S2 is still on its original after 165000 miles (75000 by me)
My Turbo had a new one at 72000 miles (when I bought it)

 

[chrisr]

My original clutch lasted until 122,000 if my memory serves me right and mine was £1,000 to sort out

Chris

 

[zcacogp]

You would need to abuse a 944 clutch MASSIVELY for it to be slipping after 28k miles. And they are hydraulic clutches (at least on the later models - not sure about the earlier ones), so no adjustment possible.

Either you're imagining it (always possible!), or you have contaminated the clutch plate with something. How leaky is your rear main seal?


Oli.

 

[Lowtimer]

Possibly just loss of traction on salted roads, which would explain why it didn;t do it in a higher gear. Presumably this is a version with no LSD?

 

[lookingfora944]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies. Its a 944 S2, I don't see how I could have contaminated it. I have only had the car a couple of months and I had it serviced and checked over 3 weeks ago, so I don't believe there are any oil leaks. Maybe I am just being paranoid. Since I bought the car pretty much everyone has been negative saying how much it will cost me blah de blah and it may be something as simple as loss of traction, as you say. It definitely had no problem on the M-Way earlier.
I will see how it feels tomorrow

 

[zcacogp]

S2?

Definitely loss of traction then!

Really, they are so powerful and smooth, they break away without you even being aware of it. []

(Sorry, bit of an in-joke here. A serious answer would be to see if it happens again and worry about it only if you get some more definite symptoms. Oh, and they don't cost a fortune to run at all; 'pretty much everyone' is pulling your leg.)


Oli.

 

[Lowtimer]

In a similar vein to Oli's, obviously if it is a white one (like mine) it will be much more powerful than any other colour, and therefore the loss of traction would be far more likely.

 

[lookingfora944]

Yes it is a white one and yes, I was aware that they are the fastest models

 

[zcacogp]

Well, there you go then - problem solved! White S2, and you simply can't get enough traction on a damp road surface ...

(Small note to Simon; while I am sure white turbos may have the occasional problem with traction, it's nowhere near as bad as in a white S2. 'Cos ... well, it's obvious really. [] )

Nice that we got that one cleared up so soon, chaps! []


Oli.

 

[jasonp]

lowtimer and lookingfora944, come on enough with the fantasys! everyone knows guards red is the fastest, without a shadow of a doubt,. white is very nice though[] regards jason

 

[graham.webb]

My S2 has just passed 100k and is still on the original clutch as far as I can see from the history that came with it. It seems this is not unusual...when I had the sills done at Specialised Paintwork, Karl said the 944 he'd had went well past 150k on the original I think.

As they've said, depends how the car's been used, lots of town driving and wheelspin starts won't have helped, but that's not to say you can't enjoy it...I've driven at Brands Hatch, Prescott, and Shelsley but always with a thought to the less robust parts of the drivetrain!

Anyway, if there's any clutch slip you should be able to hear the revs rise if you, say, put it under load going up a steep hill. If that's the case, then maybe look for some other signs of an oil leak?

And so far as the negative comments are concerned, well just enjoy your car...most accept that it can be expensive at times. So...

 

[Lowtimer]

(Small note to Simon; while I am sure white turbos may have the occasional problem with traction, it's nowhere near as bad as in a white S2. 'Cos ... well, it's obvious really. )

It is indeed obvious, Oli : those of us with boooost also have limited slip differentials.

 

[Lowtimer]

As far as I or anyone else who's had a spanner on the car during my ownership can tell, my 250 Turbo is also on the original clutch at 86,000 miles and only about half-worn, though when it comes back from Promax shortly it will be unlikely that the second half lasts as many miles as the first half did... and I shall have to amend my sig line too,

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Lowtimer
It is indeed obvious, Oli : those of us with boooost also have limited slip differentials. 

And I'm sure you chaps need them too - what with that untidy, lumpy power delivery! Give me the greater power with the smooth delivery of an S2 every day of the week - even if that means I need to tame the waywardness of the back end a little! []

.... and on a serious note, I changed the clutch on my S2 at about 140k-or-so miles, and the one that came out was - I think - the original one. It seems that a fair number of original clutches are being changed 'cos the rubber centre breaks up, not because they wear out. (Although the symptoms from the OP are not those of a broken-up rubber centre.)


Oli.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Maybe I am just being paranoid. Since I bought the car pretty much everyone has been negative saying how much it will cost me blah de blah

That's forums for you. [&o]

To be fair, this forum has been going for nigh on ten years. If you imagine how many times the long-termers here have seen people register with a cheap car picked up on e-bay, then complained about all the things wrong with it, you'll understand why people are a little less than forgiving sometimes!

A 944 will cost you, of course. And far more than a modern car if you only count the service costs. Factor in the cheap purchase price and the nominal depreciation and you're laughing.

Oh, the clutch? 100K should be fine unless you're racing it. 28K miles is probably still bedding in. []

What were you driving before? I guess you're just being caught out by the wide tyres, slippery roads and lack of modern traction control, causing a bit of wheelspin. Often you won't feel it fishtailing around, as the car is so balanced, but the rears will be struggling to find grip. Every year I include "be careful out there" during the winter months in the Register article, because I deal with so many insurance claims where people are surprised how easy it is to throw a powerful car off the road when you've not got electronics to help you.