My clutch accumulator has been iffy for a while. Clutch pedal is stiff on cold start after car has sat for more than 2 days. Takes 25 pedal depressions for a rise in pedal pressure but never gets hard even after 40 depressions after 20 sec warm-up/shutdown. Last few days I'm getting clutch judder in reverse. Just took it out on the highway and did a 4th gear WOT from 2000 rpm and got clutch slippage at boost.

Car only has 41k miles. Flash (1.1 bar)/intake/exhaust.

Slave seems fine. No fluid transfer from rear to front reservoir.

New clutch, accumulator, both? You input would be appreciated.

 

Accumulator holds and stores vacuum to make the clutch easy to press before the motor is started. It also makes the clutch action, depression and releasing smoother and less juddery. Nothing else. It has nothing to do with clutch spring pressure holding the torque and keeping the clutch from slipping. Once slipping occurs it will get worse the more it is loaded. The only fix is a new one. With a chipped ECU you'll want a HD clutch with a PP with more spring pressure.

 

switch to GT2 (slave/accumulator delete) when you upgrade your clutch.

 

If that clutch accumulator is iffy it is iffy with a lower case 'i'.

In my experience when the accumulator became Iffy (upper case 'I') the pedal was hard even after the car had sat for a few hours.

After a 20 second idle time the pedal would get easy to work again but firm up in I forget how many depresses but not many and a discussion with a tech confirmed the accumulator was gone.

The tech assured me that I could continue to drive the car in the meantime, that a bad accumulator would not affect the clutch's operation.

In fact, he told me it was not unknown for a Turbo owner to bring his Turbo in and the tech would spot the signs of a bad accumulator and tell the owner this with the result the owner believing the tech was trying to put one over on him because the clutch felt like that since the owner bought the car.

Anyhow, I drove my Turbo a few weeks with a bad accumulator with no issues.

The accumulator repair though became a higher priority when the clutch slave cylinder began to leak -- fluid appeared on top of the plastic panel that covers the small fluid tank just ahead of the driver.

If the clutch is slipping it is time to get a new clutch. I spotted a Turbo in for a new clutch some time back and the tech told me the stock clutch, while a very good clutch, doesn't have much margin to deal with the output of a modified engine. I do not recall the amount of margin (in HP) the tech mentioned but it wasn't much.

So, you probably should consider an aftermarket clutch one that is rated to take the HP/torque your mod'd engine is putting out.

At this time you might as well get the accumulator replaced and consider replacing the clutch slave cylinder at the same time.

As for the GT2 clutch accum/slave delete, I had a chance to sit in a GT2 and work its clutch a few times, and the pressure to work the clutch is higher than that of the stock Turbo. Quite a bit higher. Too high for my taste.

If you go this route you better be sure you can live with a heavier clutch.

Also, since I did not drive the GT2 I can't compare the clutch's engagement action to that of my Turbo's clutch, and this GT2 thing might affect that as well, maybe for the better or maybe not.

Try it before you buy it, if you can.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

If you have any thoughts of tracking your car go the GT2 route. The operation of the clutch is spot on every time. I did and I'm very glad I did. I have a stock clutch with 72K and a lot of fun track days (road course) plus a UMW 1.2 flash...no issues. Use the clutch correctly and you won't have any problems. Tim

 

Well, looks like I am going to go the DIY clutch replacement way. Anyone know of any DIY guides other than this one or have words of advice to share?

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...h-install.html

I bought this car in April and haven't pushed it hard, just cruising on weekends and one autocross.

Thanks for all your advice.