Re: Your original clutch lasted 200k miles?!...

Final mileage on my 99 Boxster is 350,928.

The car was hit and is a total loss so there will be no more miles.

It's had a very good run. Now it's up to someone else to push the limits.

Douglas

P.S. Pedro, what is yours up to now?

Sorry to hear that's how it ended for your Boxster. You sure got a lot of use out of it. Was it still the original engine?

Thankfully there were no injuries.

Yes, it was the original engine. The most significant work that was done to the car was replacing the clutch at 200,000 miles. Also had the IMS and RMS replaced at that time.

Did you only drive on the highway? That’s amazing!!

I'm on my original clutch (280K miles)
Of those miles I estimate that 78K are track miles.
If you rev-match when shifting and don't do all-out launches, your clutch never wears.

But, having said that I know it's not the norm.
I've replaced many customer clutches with as little as 20K miles.
The worse you can do to a clutch is leave your left foot resting on the pedal.

My Dad taught me early that the left foot is off the dead pedal only while depressing the clutch to shift.
That was my mantra for many years, until I started racing.
Then, the left foot was also required to do some braking while the right foot was still accelerating.

Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

That’s amazing you got that much life out of the clutch Pedro! I only got 76k out of my Boxster’s clutch until it started to slip although I did have the car parked in a NYC garage for a number of years where I could see the valets hold the car on an up ramp in the garage using the clutch several times while smelling burned clutch. What do you say about holding the clutch in during a stoplight? Damage to the throw out bearing or no?

Quote
CarreraLicious
That’s amazing you got that much life out of the clutch Pedro! I only got 76k out of my Boxster’s clutch until it started to slip although I did have the car parked in a NYC garage for a number of years where I could see the valets hold the car on an up ramp in the garage using the clutch several times while smelling burned clutch. What do you say about holding the clutch in during a stoplight? Damage to the throw out bearing or no?

Shorten life of the bearing doing that. Neutral and foot off the pedal when stationary at stoplight.

I had an unusual failure. At about 65,000 miles the pressure plate failed. When placed on a flat surface, springs down, it laid tilted. Never had that before and I figure I've driven nearly 500,000 miles in manual tranny cars. Never replaced a clutch except for when the pressure plate went. The car is a 2000 S now living in Cali.

i very often see people holding their cars on an incline with the clutch at a red light. it makes me cringe.

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

The car has equipment and capabilities. If one is at a stop light - issue one is not to roll backwards. I was taught to put the car in neutral and use the handbrake to transition. I know others who were taught to feather the clutch to achieve the same result.
Either will work, but feathering the clutch will place extra strain and wear on the clutch. Now in our car, that could be a problem. In my old VW, parts were stupid cheap and I could drop the engine and swap the clutch in an hour. In short, folks will make choices based upon how they were taught and the specific application.

When I was learning, my father would hit me every time I rode the clutch. You quickly learn not to do that..... and I still (mostly) don't.

For my part, today I find that in "rubber band" traffic, especially on hills (Merritt Pwky) that I lean towards the feather method. Some might call it lazy, but it is what it is. To be fair, if I am in bumper to bumper traffic in the Boxster, it is a mistake - so it does not happen often, but still. I have other cars with an automatic. Further, in city traffic, where a fraction might make the difference in making the left turn or not (for instance), I keep the transmission engaged at lights. (My dad would likely hit me.) Does that mean the throw out bearing is working? Yes. but modern bearings have a MUCH longer life expectancy than older versions. They now have a movable bearing that is capable of spinning with the engine. My VW (on which I learned) and my Healey had a sacrificial bearing surface. In those cars, you WOULD have major throw out bearing wear if you "rode the clutch" I suspect the same was true on the "30's era cars on which my dad learned. That said, given the new bearing design, I am much less worried about wear on the throw out bearing.

I have my preferred method, but I vary. I further acknowledge how others were taught. Either way, there is no need to cringe.

I read that too...that the wear on the throwout bearing is so inconsequential in today’s cars that it would still outlast the clutch (if you leave the clutch in at a stoplight). I don’t do it often but there are times I do if I know the light will not be too long.

Riding the clutch is fun. It is part of the enjoyment of drive a standard transmission. Especially a Porsche!

MIKELLIG

Besides being my daily driver, I tracked the car for about the first 5 years so I got in the habit of double declutching (heel and toe) for downshifts. Won't be doing that any longer now that I only have a Macan GTS (which I also love).

Yes, most of my commuting miles are on the highway.

Hello Pedro,

Interesting how you have been able to make your clutch last.

What is the proper way to rev match? For years I've double-clutch to rev match by going into neutral to blip the throttle, then slide into a lower gear but it's not ideal in every situation like braking hard before a corner. I assume you mean heal and toe by rev-matching. I have tried to practice at it but still am unsure if I am doing it properly. Basically, is it pressing the brake and blip the throttle, and slide into a lower gear all at the same time in one motion?? Or is it you blip the throttle and brake, then slide into a lower gear in two movements? This may be overkill in thinking but I don't want to wear down my clutch. Maybe you know of a good video to show proper heal and toe shifting?? I have never had anyone actually show me. Thanks!

Dan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2021 06:49AM by djw8282. (view changes)

Rev matching just takes practice. It's really simple.
When you are going to slow down for a turn and you're coming down from high RPMs, as you get off the gas to get on the brakes then clutch the RPMs can drop by 2,000 or 3,000.
The trick is to blip the accelerator with your right foot without loosing pressure on the brake pedal in order to bring the RPMs up about 1,000 so that when you shift and unclutch the engine's RPMs match the tranny's RPMs and thus the clutch doesn't slip.
Once you master that you don't even need a clutch anymore, well, just to start rolling, because you'll be able to shift the tranny seamlessly by rev-matching and the synchros will never make a sound.
Search on Youtube and you'll find several good videos showing the technique. Just don't watch the Ayrton Senna one in the Acura which will mess you up if you try it.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Thanks for the info and one more question: what engine oil did you use for the car to get to 350k miles? Mobil 1 0W-40? Something else?...I have a 997 now, and on another forum I’m on, the folks there swear by all these special oil additives like MoS2, Ceratec, or expensive boutique oils that they claim will extend the life of their engines while I just keep using Mobil products. LOL.

Just used the standard Mobil 1. The car was serviced by the dealer throughout its life. I've never used any special additives.

sorry to hear about the car. hope you’re ok.

What a shame Douglas!
You did get a good run though.
I'm at 298K and change.
Not driving even 3,000 miles/year.
Let's see when the pandemic is over if I can ramp up the miles again.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

At my rate (6,600/year), take me a total of 55 years to get my 2009 that high. Car may get there, but I won't (imagine the look on the cop's face pulling over a centenarian for doing 90 in a 75)! Glad you drove the heck out of it before the accident.

So sorry to hear about your car. I really enjoyed watching watching your car in my mirror during the BRBS drives. Cool seeing the shower of sparks from the underside of your car every time there was a bump in the road. It was lowered about 2" right? I challenge you to get another Boxster and shoot for 351k...

Yeah, it was lowered about 2" for the first half of its life. Then I switched to PSS9s and it was only lowered about an inch. Then I only bottomed out on some of the bumps, not all of them.

Don't know when I'll get a new sports car. For now, the Macan is enough but eventually I'll get something else.