Need Help with a definitive 911 Turbo S Clutch Slave and/or Accumulator Diagnosis

I have read tons of good stuff on this but I am still trying to make a decision on what to change. I have a new accumulator ready to install (No Slave.... $545 bucks, Ouch!), so that is why I am asking. My symptoms point to the slave according to the manual, but I read so many conflicting accounts. Symptoms: 1) After left overnight, clutch is hard, usable but hard. 2) Start car, clutch feels :sort of" normal 3) Drive car pedal feels a little hard(er) than normal SOMETIMES 4) While driving, push clutch pedal, seems sort of OK, release about half way and push down again feels like butter just as it should. (Till next clutch activity) 5) Repeat above still the same. 6) Clutch works fine all but not feeling "quite" right no gear crunching or such like. 7) Pedal height is full 8) No leaks at all Trying to decide to try the accumulator first (easier under jack stands and ramps) I do not have a lift. Can ANYONE please tell me from experience definitively if it is the slave and/or Accumulator. Not looking forward to changing both. BTW I do not want to install the GT2 Clutch Mod. Ian

Quotes source post: 9286410

Based on the experience with my 03 Turbo it reads like your car has a bad accumulator. The hard clutch pedal after the engine has been off a while (overnight is when I noticed it) is a sign. Or, if after shutting off the engine (after it has run (idled) 20 seconds) and then you find you are unable to get 25 (some sources give a higher number) of full clutch pedal depresses and releases before the clutch pedal requires considerably more force to depress the accumulator is suspect. When the clutch accumulator was suspect I tried this and I got under way under 25, maybe under 10, I can't recall the exact number now. But before the accumulator was suspect -- shortly after I bought the car -- I tried this and got over 25 before the clutch pedal got hard. After finding the pedal hard to depress or making it hard to depress you should then start the engine and let it idle 20 seconds then shut it off. The clutch pedal should once again be easy (nearly effortless compared to my Boxster's clutch pedal) to depress. Be sure to avoid turning the wheel while the engine is running and after you shut off the engine to avoid biasing the test results. Also, while you have to depress the clutch pedal to start the engine once the engine starts release the clutch pedal to avoid biasing the test results. If the accumulator is bad -- as was the one in my car -- the clutch pedal may feel a bit funny. While the effort didn't change I could feel some mild pulsing which I was told is normal since the accumulator (when it is working right) dampens the pulsing that is from the power/pressure pump working. Now after the accumulator was diagnosed as being bad I was told I could drive the car and no harm would happen. My other car was in for something -- oh, a VarioCam solenoid/actuator problem (ouch!) -- and I needed the Turbo to get around in. A week or so later, just about the same time the other car was ready to go I noticed fluid leak sign on *top* of the plastic panel under the frunk just ahead of the driver. This fluid was coming from the reservoir that is under that panel and this leaks when the clutch slave cylinder goes bad. So when I dropped off the Turbo it got not only a new accumulator but a new clutch slave cylinder as well. You might want to continue to drive the car a while (a few weeks?) just to see of the clutch slave cylinder begins to leak. Keep a sharp eye out for any signs of fluid leaks. The Pentosin fluid is nasty and is harmful to rubber and I wouldn't want it on any paint either just to be safe. Now the car once in a while makes a very high pitched (though faint) whine which I'm told is a valve acting up in the power steering fluid tank/reservoir. It doesn't hurt to drive the car. The problem I guess is the noise is irritating. To address this requires a new valve. The new valve is not available separately, but comes with a new power steering tank/reservoir. A new tank/reservoir is around $1000. Up to you but for me I can live with a bit of noise. (When the noise appears, I can make it go away by depressing then releasing the clutch pedal.) But you might want to know about this so while you 'are there' at least think about replacing that valve (from a new tank) in case you are hearing the noise. Sincerely, Macster.

Quotes source post: 9286539

THANK YOU! for taking the time to write this! It is an excellent overview. It helps that it is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear. I have been driving it on and off for about 3 months with no issues. It is probably relevant that the car is a 2005 Turbo S and has only done 7,000 miles. I find it difficult to believe the slave has died without any fluid issues. Thanks again, Ian

Quotes source post: 9286664

That the car is a 996 Turbo is probably all that matters. The S has nothing to do with it. If you've been driving the car for a few months and the clutch slave cylinder is not leaking, the reservoir under the frunk is dry and the fluid levels in both power steering and slave cylinder reservoirs are ok, chances are the slave cylinder is ok. At least for now. My car, an 03 Turbo (not an S), had about 10K miles on it when I bought it (in June 09) and the accum/slave cylinder didn't act up until around the 50K mile mark, maybe after, I don't recall now. Fortunately for me the car still had a CPO warranty in effect so the repairs were covered. Funny thing about the fluid levels... While one might think of low being bad, and it is, too high can be a sign of something not right as well. I hope I have the details remembered accurately: The techs did mention a sign of something amiss can be high fluid levels in one of the reservoirs. That is what happened in my car's case. The clutch slave cylinder went bad and this somehow resulted in fluid being routed to the reservoir under the panel under the frunk and this fluid overflowed and showed up in the areas I mentioned (at least). If it hadn't been for the fluid leak I wouldn't have known the clutch slave cylinder was bad. Save for the symptoms/behavior arising from the bad accumulator there were no other signs of any trouble elsewhere. Oh, when I first took my car in for this accumulator issue the tech who told me I could continue to drive the car said that once in a while a Turbo would come in with a bad accumulator and the owner would not even be aware of it, thinking that the hard to depress clutch pedal at engine start is normal. (It may be normal if the car is left unused for long periods of time.) The tech went on to say that sometimes there was disbelief on the part of the owner when told the accumulator was bad, and if the car was out of warranty disbelief sometimes combined with a bit of anger, like the tech was making up the accumulator being bad to pad the repair bill. Sincerely, Macster.

Thanks, OK Did it, replaced the accumulator. Took a grand total to about 1.5 hours, some of that was my mulling. Did get a little Pentosin bleed off at the neck of the accumulator but the plastic bag took care of it. One interesting thing, I bled the clutch but I do not think it needed it. No bubbles just pure green stuff nevertheless all done. The hardest part was making and bending the 27mm wrench into place. A 27mm Dogleg would have been better IMHO. There is not a lot of room to tighten it back up. I use a piece of wooden dowel and tapped with with a mallet until it was tight by my calculations anyway. AND the best part.... The clutch is better than it has ever been. PurrrFeeccct!. I would even call it a "Ladies" clutch it is so smooth and light. Probably was bad 3 years ago when I got the car. Soooo the manual is full of it. All their tests indicated the slave. Probably inserted for the dealers sake to make some extra cash, typical. tThe Car can be seen with all the mods some detailed with installation tutorials at impconcepts D0t C0m just go to the "Porsche Turbo S" Page on the right Ian