Stiff clutch / clutch replace q?
 

Hi am a new member...just got an 03 boxster S. the clutch pedal is quite stiff and I know that means probably good time to replace the clutch. The car has 46k miles or so. I am thinking of the 45k service just to be sure that was done as well as replace clutch.

Here is my q...when I get the clutch replaced should I also upgraded to a L&N bearing and also replace rear main seal? Thoughts? Also is there anything else I should consider like preemptively replacing water pump etc?

Thanks!
Michael

i am in the same position-just bought an 02 S clutch pedal is very stiff. when i was getting PPI done he said replace clutch asap to avoid flywheel damage i will do IMS and RMS while gearbox is down, im gonna do a slave cylinder too, along with water pump, low temp thermostat and front engine mount which is torn. mine has 82,000 miles

Well I just found this similar thread in the tech area which covers this so there we go...l

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/33089-clutch-replacement.html

Heh

Did you replace your clutch and did it resolve the stiffness? I have a 2003 S exactly the same colour and wheels as yours, replaced the clutch and nothing changed.

It did... The clutch was super stiff when I got the car...that's pretty low miles for a clutch replace but I dunno who the previous owners were. Now it so normal...not to say it is easy and light compared to other cars I have driven...but I don't feel like my leg is going to fall off any more. The dealer who did my transmission work said it was roasted when I had it done heh.

You may have a shot master or slave unit. Mine was horribly stiff and when I replaced the entire clutch and both cylinders I darn near put my foot through the floor board. I thought I had blown something till I realized that a hydraulic clutch is going to feel incredible smooth. If you have a stiff clutch, something is going on.

I wonder if a "stiff" clutch is a matter of opinion. When I bought my '03 base with 80k miles a couple of years ago, the seller said the clutch was stiff because it needed replacement soon. I've put another 10k on it and it seems fine, although it did seem stiff to me but now I'm used to it. It's harder to push in than the Miata I had years ago and even stiffer than my F-150. But there was no comment on this when I had my PPI done, so maybe that's just the way it is. What I really need to do is try another Boxster for comparison.

stiff clutch 03 s
 

Thanks for the feedback, I'll keep searching for a solution

I am surprised no one has posted this. An easy way to test if the clutch is slipping and going out is to cruise 30mph and then shift into 5th gear. The rpm needle should go down, but if it shoots up then there is slippage occurring.

My 04 had 63K miles, and one day while driving the clutch pedal became quite difficult to depress. It felt like my racing clutch in my old car. I had read about how the boxster clutch when it failed often became difficult to depress but this should have been a gradual change.

Wanted an excuse to upgrade the IMS so sent the car into my mechanic for a clutch and new IMS. At the same time time the clutch slave cylinder was also weeping so that was also replaced. Mechanic finished up the work and took it for a test drive and the clutch pedal still was overly stiff. Turned out the helper spring attached to the clutch pedal had broken. First time the mechanic had ever seen this problem. Could be your problem but I am not sure how you diagnose a broken helper spring problem if the clutch is in an unknown state.

My clutch seems fine, but it engages almost near the top. Is this normal?

When you suggested to cruise at 30 mph, then shift into 5th gear, should I be in 4th gear when I am crusing at 30 mph?

You should be in 3rd driving 30mph, then shift to 5th. This drops the rpms big time, and the needle should go down. If it goes up for a split second, your clutch is slipping.

Same problem over here. Bought my S 4 months ago. Fried the clutch two weeks later, which was replaced by the dealer. Pedal was stiff in the beginning, but now that the clutch has been replaced, still pretty firm and more so than my previous cars.
Likely suspect are the master and slave cylinder. So that will be my next job. Would that me the difference?

Bear I am I'm similar situation had my clutch replaced a while ago...SOMETIMES I feel like my pedal gets better and easier ...sometimes after a hard drive or more spirited or longer drive... I was just reading about the master slave setup and am thinking of doing it or having a dealer do it...

I've got the same problem Michael. After my clutch replacement, it does feel better, but still pretty stiff. Clutch cylinders are about 250 dollar here in the Netherlands, so I'm considering doing it myself. The biggest problem is not having a ramp. The master cylinder should't be a problem, but slave cylinder might be.

Test, just a test
 

Hello. And Bye.

you guys should try a simple clutch bleed. i did mine and there was a big difference in pedal feel.

Well this is an old thread but I thought I would resurrect it as I finally solved my clutch problems. Obviously my main issue was the clutch replacement itself that was done immediately. As mentioned in earlier posts this got rid of the stiff feeling "mostly". However I finally had the dealer replace the Clutch Helper Spring which is connected to the pedal in the driver footwell. Removing, relubricating, and replacing with a new spring made the clutch how it should be. I can only assume points needed to be cleaned and the spring itself was bad.

Funny thing is I have read in another forum about 996 owners removing the helper spring altogether...which is how mine "felt" being bad. Reason: It is harder to press but you can feel the clutch engagement point a lot better. Useful for tracking or fun driving, not so fun in stop and go traffic. All I can say is I can understand as my clutch is so easy now it is like butter and I practically have to learn how to re-shift / go slower-easier on the pedal hehe.

My car now has 51k miles and with the original clutch replacement/LN upgrade and now the helper spring it is like new. :) Yay.

comet