Clutch Pedal Issue

GLASEM · GLASEM's Garage

Am at Parade and my clutch pedal is not going all the way back.

Shifts and disengages fine but it does not always go all the way up the last inch or so

Time for a pedal rebuild?

Rodsrsr · Rodsrsr's Garage

Most likely a clutch adjustment.

crustychief · crustychief's Garage

Broken spring? The spring on the pedal helps it "cam" over the top, returning the pedal to its original position.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=911-423-305-05-M100&catalog_description=Clutch%20Pedal%20Return%20Spri ng%2C%20911%20%281974-76%29

Peter Zimmermann · 07-08-2010, 08:10 AM

If pedal effort has increased a broken omega spring is a possibility. If your clutch goes out of adjustment quickly from now, and you begin to have engagement trouble, then the throw out bearing fork might be cracked. Without knowing the age of the clutch cable, you could have a few broken strands. If that's the case shifting will quickly deteriorate. Lastly, if the clutch was recently adjusted it might be possible that the adjustment bolt, or bowden tube nuts, were left loose.

Oh Haha · 07-08-2010, 11:23 AM

Gary,
Like others suggested, I would check out the omega spring at the transmission. If it's ok then try to get a look at the pedal cluster, specifically the clutch pedal spring.

BTW-I see Karl's 914 took first place at the Parade. Very nice!!

spuggy · 07-08-2010, 12:04 PM

It's unlikely to be the clutch pedal helper spring IMHO. PO didn't like the "feel" so removed it. I've driven the last 30,000 miles without one and my clutch has never done what the original poster describes.

Rodsrsr · Rodsrsr's Garage

Another thing to check (although its a long shot) is the pin that holds the clutch pedal onto the shaft. When they get old they start to wear and will shear off. This is exactly what happened to my car just before the pin actually broke. Like I said it a longshot but worth checking. I still say that its probably an ill adjusted clutch.

longhornchris04 · longhornchris04's Garage

Well, I had the opposite problem... where the clutch pedal moved fine but the clutch progressively got 'tighter' - i.e. required more push to disengage.

Turns out the bushings supporting the fork assembly had gone south... which resulted sloppy movement at the transmission and loads exceeding what the cable could tolerate... end result is the cable stretched. And yes, this was the last place the mechanic and I thought to look...

Also, I have a 915 with no helper spring.

I pass this along because the bushings are cheap... but changing them requires an engine/trans drop and separation... which is either expensive or time consuming. If you are in there anyway, its a good idea to inspect them at a minimum, and replace them if anything looks remotely hinky.

porschenut · 07-08-2010, 05:06 PM

I had this exact same problem and it was fixed by a simple clutch cable adjustment at the transmission. The clutch pedal was fine, and then all of a sudden I noticed it wasn't returning the final inch or so. 5 minutes under the car and everything was fine again. The problem hasn't recurred.

porschenut · 05:37 PM

BTW, there are many others with the same problem and the same resolution - simple clutch cable adjustment as described in the 101 Projects book. Do a search and you'll find the threads.

GLASEM · GLASEM's Garage

Clutch was adjusted about a about a month ago before a DE using "101 Projects".
Cable was replaced in 2007 about 12000 miles ago
No increased pedal effort.........just does not always return to the top
Shifts fine in all gears.
Car going into the trailer this morning for the return home from Parade.

Tim Hancock · 07-09-2010, 06:35 AM

My clutch pedal over the last year has gotten extremely difficult to push in and when letting out, it feels sticky which has on occasion resulted in stalling the car when creeping away from a stop. It also does not want to fully return the last inch like the OP mentioned.

I have rebuilt my pedal cluster and a couple of years ago I installed a new omega spring, clutch and clutch cable. I am "guessing" that my problem lies in the clutch yoke shaft bearings. There is no discernable play in it and I think maybe the opposite condition exists... too tight due to galling or corrosion maybe.

doublestuff · doublestuff's Garage

I had a similar condition in my SC, the clutch pedal would come to within an inch or so of the top and stop - I could pull it the rest of the way up with my foot. Newer clutch cable, adjustment didn't help. I just rebuilt my pedal cluster and problem solved (and it feels like a new car!).
If it ends up being the cluster, let me warn you that the 101 Projects isn't completely accurate for SCs (and maybe others - I didn't catch what year your car is). Helpful, but there are some missing items, like the linkage to the master cylinder since it moved into the trunk. Putting the cluster back in might be the most difficult thing I've ever done to a car, but totally worth it.
Good luck!

Jason

CCM911 · 07-09-2010, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porschenut

I had this exact same problem and it was fixed by a simple clutch cable adjustment at the transmission. The clutch pedal was fine, and then all of a sudden I noticed it wasn't returning the final inch or so. 5 minutes under the car and everything was fine again. The problem hasn't recurred.

+1

Mine would not "pop" back at the end of the release. So I tighened the adjustment at the transmission and all was well.

As always, start with the easy stuff and work back from there.

Best of luck.

longhornchris04 · longhornchris04's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

My clutch pedal over the last year has gotten extremely difficult to push in and when letting out, it feels sticky which has on occasion resulted in stalling the car when creeping away from a stop. It also does not want to fully return the last inch like the OP mentioned.

I have rebuilt my pedal cluster and a couple of years ago I installed a new omega spring, clutch and clutch cable. I am "guessing" that my problem lies in the clutch yoke shaft bearings. There is no discernable play in it and I think maybe the opposite condition exists... too tight due to galling or corrosion maybe.

This sounds like the problem I previously posted... but mine got to the point where the cable stretched. Fix it before it becomes like my problem.

In hindsight, I got lucky I didn't break the clutch cable.

Peter Zimmermann · 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

My clutch pedal over the last year has gotten extremely difficult to push in and when letting out, it feels sticky which has on occasion resulted in stalling the car when creeping away from a stop. It also does not want to fully return the last inch like the OP mentioned.

I have rebuilt my pedal cluster and a couple of years ago I installed a new omega spring, clutch and clutch cable. I am "guessing" that my problem lies in the clutch yoke shaft bearings. There is no discernable play in it and I think maybe the opposite condition exists... too tight due to galling or corrosion maybe.

Tim, your symptom is eerily similar to what I've seen the number of times when a customer came into the shop and we discovered that someone had put an after market clutch cable in the car. If you have a chance look at the black bowden tube where it rests alongside the transmission. If it says "Made in West(ern) Germany" in white letters, you were sold an after market cable, and they are truly crap. Replace the cable with a factory one and you will be good to go (probably), and your left leg will thank you!