09-07-2007, 07:39 PM
as i am browsing other sites, i came across something that needed immediate attention
somebody has asked about brakes and clutch hoses and such, and got some really bad information from one of the proported resident experts - i thought i would take a moment to correct that before it results in more failures than we have already seen too many of
at first i misread the response, because the sentence structure was so bad, but then i got what they were trying to say, and it became even clearer that it needed correction
the "expert" claimed that the cause of the 951 failures was rubbing against the engine, and that the 968 should not have issues with the clutch hose, because it was routed differently than the 951 - based upon his own cars, he did not feel the hose rupture was a real problem, and further recommended replacing with the OEM hose because it was DOT approved
while it is true that the routing of the hose in the 968 does not cause it to rub, it still fails - it is an age issue, further contributed to by heat and poor angle design - we have seen at least 2 dozen of these fail in the last year alone, and replaced at least that many more that were not far away from failure - clearly it is a very real issue
as for the DOT approval, the OEM hoses are not DOT approved - that approval applies to brake hoses, not clutch hoses - like tires, brake hoses are a safety item that are subjected to more scrutiny than clutch items - the OEM hose says on it very clearly that it is NOT for brake use - the only standards that apply to the clutch hose are those of construction minimums (hose type, connectors, etc) - it presumes the vehicle manufacturers service schedule is followed (full flush and bleed every 2 years), and further presumes the hose manufacturers service life (5 yrs)
while the OEM hose will work fine as a replacement under the above presumed conditions, it will be subject to the same rate of failure as the original hose - the stainless braided hose from RS Barn will not be as subject to these problems, and should last a lifetime - however, you should still flush the entire system every 2 years, whichever hose you choose
so, before you go on thinking that because "so and so" said it wasn't a problem, and get lulled into a false sense of security, please realize that it is a very real concern - anyone running an original clutch hose is on borrowed time
somebody has asked about brakes and clutch hoses and such, and got some really bad information from one of the proported resident experts - i thought i would take a moment to correct that before it results in more failures than we have already seen too many of
at first i misread the response, because the sentence structure was so bad, but then i got what they were trying to say, and it became even clearer that it needed correction
the "expert" claimed that the cause of the 951 failures was rubbing against the engine, and that the 968 should not have issues with the clutch hose, because it was routed differently than the 951 - based upon his own cars, he did not feel the hose rupture was a real problem, and further recommended replacing with the OEM hose because it was DOT approved
while it is true that the routing of the hose in the 968 does not cause it to rub, it still fails - it is an age issue, further contributed to by heat and poor angle design - we have seen at least 2 dozen of these fail in the last year alone, and replaced at least that many more that were not far away from failure - clearly it is a very real issue
as for the DOT approval, the OEM hoses are not DOT approved - that approval applies to brake hoses, not clutch hoses - like tires, brake hoses are a safety item that are subjected to more scrutiny than clutch items - the OEM hose says on it very clearly that it is NOT for brake use - the only standards that apply to the clutch hose are those of construction minimums (hose type, connectors, etc) - it presumes the vehicle manufacturers service schedule is followed (full flush and bleed every 2 years), and further presumes the hose manufacturers service life (5 yrs)
while the OEM hose will work fine as a replacement under the above presumed conditions, it will be subject to the same rate of failure as the original hose - the stainless braided hose from RS Barn will not be as subject to these problems, and should last a lifetime - however, you should still flush the entire system every 2 years, whichever hose you choose
so, before you go on thinking that because "so and so" said it wasn't a problem, and get lulled into a false sense of security, please realize that it is a very real concern - anyone running an original clutch hose is on borrowed time
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
