Clutch throwout bearing noise in XT

[guzzla]

My 07 XT manual has started to make a slight clutch throwout bearing noise in the last couple of months. I'm familiar with the noise from a couple of other cars I've owned over the years although I haven't actually had it diagnosed by my mechanic yet. It's not always there but more noticeable when cold, and certainly not as noisy as the one on my Camry became. The car has done 258,000km and is still on it's original clutch which still feels as smooth as new.

I only hear the noise occasionally, especially on the first time I use the clutch after coming to a stop at the bottom of the hill 100m down our street. It's just a slight scraping noise that my wife reckons I'm imagining. Would I be doing any damage if I left it until the next service in 4000km? The noise isn't consistently there when I put the clutch in like it has been on other cars I've driven. Usually it is just a slight intermittent scraping noise and only at very low speeds.

 

[Ratbag]

Guzzla, if it's the pilot shaft bearing, it could cause you grief. It can also only make an audible noise under the same/similar conditions when it is starting to wear past its serviceable limit. A dead pilot shaft bearing will most likely wreck your flywheel, clutch plate and pressure plate on the way past, and maybe your gearbox input shaft as well. It is also more likely to be noisy all the time, specially audible when idling with your foot off the clutch.

If it's the throw-out bearing (I agree with you, this is more likely than the pilot shaft bearing making a noise), it will probably be serviceable for long after you have gotten sick of the noise it's making, and had it replaced. I have driven cars with noisy throw-out bearings for a very long time after it first made its presence felt. Subies might be different, but in the absence of other advice, they probably aren't ...

A worn/noisy throw-out bearing is likely to cause a little uneven wear on the pressure plate fork (but most likely this will be insignificant), but little else, IMO.

Just FWIW.

 

[crazydave]

Guzzla,

I would get this changed fairly quickly next service should be fine..
Throw-out bearings appear to be an issue on Subaru’s. Mine was noisy for about 6 months (15000km) on a car with 150000km of 50% freeway 50% suburban driving and maybe 200km off road and failed 3 or 4 weeks ago. I was able to limp home, maybe 15 clutch depressions only long enough to change a gear by the time I got home it was seized solid.


It had been noisy but not getting worse so I had bought the parts for a friction disc change. By the time I got to it the fingers on the pressure plate were damaged, scored at the contact point so I replace that as well. The clutch would have lasted another 50-70K the friction disc had heaps of meat on it the pilot bearing was ok but not as smooth as the new one. Like ratbag I have driven cars for years with noisy throw-out bearings so was surprised with the speed of failure. I originally thought that the quick failure may be caused by some sand getting into the bell housing from the off-road work but once apart there was no evidence of sand in the bell housing.


Taza has made some comments about Exedy throw-out bearings being superior to Factory. I bought the parts from the US for about 60% of the price here in OZ. I fitted an exedy pressure plate as it was about 60% of the oem price and could get it off the shelf. I am happy with it nice feel a little bit lighter that the original, the pickup is a bit closer to the floor.

 

[guzzla]

Thanks for the replies guys. The clutch is quiet when out and all the time when warm, most noiceable when cold, basically that first stop at the corner and makes most of the noise as the clutch pedal goes in, not when its released. I have just driven 60km around the city today without a sound other than that first stop. I'll see what my mechanic says at the service. I'm rather fascinated to see how long this original clutch lasts - it feels indestructable at the moment. My V6 Camry's clutch was giving hints of slipping at this same mileage but lasted to 282,000km. I do treat it kindly though - the Foz is my special baby lol

 

[guzzla]

Taza has made some comments about Exedy throw-out bearings being superior to Factory. I bought the parts from the US for about 60% of the price here in OZ. I fitted an exedy pressure plate as it was about 60% of the oem price and could get it off the shelf. I am happy with it nice feel a little bit lighter that the original, the pickup is a bit closer to the floor.

Thanks, lots of useful info. Interestingly my clutch has a take up as close to the floor as you could get. Always been like that and gives everyone who drives it a real shock. I love it that way.

 

[Rally]

I had to replace both my throw out bearing and pilot bearing. Both were noisy and I I changed them within a day of hearing the noise. Just as well as the pilot bearing had fallen apart and the throw bearing was probably not far behind. Clutch looked brand new, so I assume it must have been water damage.

 

[crazydave]

"The clutch is quiet when out and all the time when warm, most noiceable when cold, basically that first stop at the corner and makes most of the noise as the clutch pedal goes in, not when its released."

That is what mine did from the first noise to the failure - was quieter in summer.

 

[guzzla]

"The clutch is quiet when out and all the time when warm, most noiceable when cold, basically that first stop at the corner and makes most of the noise as the clutch pedal goes in, not when its released."

That is what mine did from the first noise to the failure - was quieter in summer.

Yeah, come to think of it, the noise only started happening when the weather got cooler. It's really quite different from the throwout bearing noise in the Camry which had a consistent whine as soon as you touched the clutch. This noise is almost like the scraping sound of brakes as the pad wear is almost gone. Is definitely the clutch though. My wife still thinks I'm dreaming....

 

[guzzla]

Now this is almost weird. Since the last post the noise has completely gone. My Foz is back to its normal quiet self. Mind you, that noise was not intrusive but now it is simply gone. Which is a little bit worrying. Still, I guess I'll just spend my days now wondering when (and if) it returns. SWMBO just says I'm OCD but then Subarus always did have a reputation of making some interesting noises. I'm always listening for noises partly because the beautiful whining hum of the turbo spooling up has had me endlessly fascinated, even after 7 years (it had its birthday yesterday) and 258,000km.

BTW the one change I did make was at the first start of the day I now start in neutral with clutch out because that's when I used to notice the intermittent scratching noise with the clutch in. But it is silent now also at the first stop at the nearest corner when I put the clutch in. That's when I used to notice the loudest noise.