See that nice round disc in the first two photos? That’s a engine flywheel for a Porsche 911. The flywheel is what connects your engine to the clutch, and the clutch is what connects your engine to the transmission to drive the car.
If you take a close look at the flywheel photos, you’ll note that it it looks blued and heat checked, that’s the result of the clutch slipping, not good. Think of the clutch system to be much like your auto’s brake system, with the clutch disc being similar to the brake pads, and the flywheel like the rotors. Clutches wear out over time and miles, the friction material gets thinner and thinner, until it can no longer properly transfer the power from the engine to the transmission, and it slips.
As the flywheel is much like the brake rotors on your auto, the surface should be clean and somewhat shiny, when the clutch slips, as it does when it is near the end of it’s service life, then excessive heat is generated, and the flywheel can be quickly damaged. Some wear can be machined out, but once the heat checking and blueing has occurred, it’s unfortunately too late.
You’ll note on the clutch friction disc there is very little material left before it hits retaining rivets. Ideally this clutch should have been replaced soon, and likely the flywheel could have been saved. You’ll note additional heat marking and wear on the clutch pressure plate, which is routinely replaced during a clutch service.
Prevention, rather than repair, often saves both time and expense. At Atlantic Motorcar Center we believe in preventive maintenance, correcting small problems before they become bigger ones, that’s the Atlantic Motorcar way.
