Outback XT stiff clutch pedal normal?

I am probably going to buy an '07 OBXT with a manual transmission. I have driven it twice and everything seems great but the clutch pedal is very stiff. It seems to work fine, just pretty hard to push it in. The owner says it has always been that way or at least he never noticed a change. The car has 57,500 miles on it and has had all the maintenance done on schedule. The clutch is definitely stiffer than the ones in a Mazda Speed3, Ford Focus ST and '11 WRX I have driven. Is that normal?

Edit: come on guys, nothing? I have come across several reports of stiff clutches in these cars (I assume the 05-09 LGTs would be the same?), but also statements that it probably means the clutch is wearing out. This could be a deal-breaker for me as I suspect the seller won't be interested in dropping the price another grand and it really is stiff when driving...

Thanks, Doug

It's normal.

OEM clutch is stiff, especcially towards the bottom of pedal travel.

Well I managed to drive a different, higher mileage OBXT, just for comparison. The second one has what I would call a firm clutch pedal, but nothing like the first one. Something is definitely dried up/contaminated/worn on the first one. I was able to get $500 knocked off the price, so I am going to buy it anyway. I will have to decide whether I want to suffer with the stiff pedal until the clutch starts to slip, or suck it up and have it worked on... Doug

Stiff and frim pedals are not normal in these cars.

There is no real difference between the OEM clutch in my 09 Spec B and the Spec 2 clutch in my 05 GT Wagon. Even the old Spec 2+ clutch had just a slightly stiffer then stock feel.

These clutchs should feel close to a Honda clutch.

You'll want to gat a TSK3 TOB kit when you replace the clutch soon.
Oh yea, and grease the start shaft when it's out for the new clutch.

I can't find the reference now, but I swear when I was initially researching my car I read something about the XT's clutch being heavier-duty in some way or another. I could be making that up.

Mine came with 62k miles and a very stiff clutch... which then gave out with a stage 1 tune at around 70k.

I replaced it with an OEM GT clutch, using the WRX single-mass flywheel and TSK3 kit (Fred Beans page). The pedal is less stiff than before -- my friends seemed to stop commenting on it, anyway -- but still a good deal stiffer than the old Nissan 4x4 I used to have. When I'd drive the truck for the first time in a while, I'd just about push the clutch pedal through the floor on the first shift, the pedal was so light. (It's been too long since I've driven a manual Honda for me to make that comparison.)

It's stiff from factory. Max Capacity just has huge calf muscles

Going from the OEM to the FX300 I have now was night and day. The FX300 is much lighter.

Yea, know, driving into work yesterday I began to think... Yea, I don't do that very often...may be this clutch is a little stiffer then a Honda.

so it is normal for the clutch to not really release spring tension at the bottom of the travel?

05 legacy gt

the clutch seems exceptionally springy compared to other manual cars

every other manual car i have driven the spring tension kind of releases at the floor to make it easy to hold there

It is what it is.

Mine are easy to hold at the floor, it that helps.

New clutch fixed it. Acts normal now. Throwout bearinf mush have been hanging up or something

my pedal is stiff and so was the wrx that i test drove prior to buying my car. personally, i like it better than a soft clutch

I had a BMW with this issue once. The diagnosis that shop offered was that the pressure plate fingers had warped / collapsed / worn out. The pressure plate itself was fine, still clamping the clutch disc adequately, but clutch eventually wasn't disengaging adequately. When I replaced the pressure plate (along with everything else) all was well. Car was much more enjoyable to drive less aggressively. So the lack of disengagement was my cue to replace. It's like being on a teeter totter with the fulcrum closer to you than the other seat. Except its not like that, because the effort is higher AND (maybe) the movement on the other side is less as well..which doesn't quite match the teeter totter concept...unless the teeter totter "beam" had sagged to where you were barely getting the other guy off the ground. Now you know as little as I do.

BTW, my current 07 XT clutch is stiff, and the reason I responded to this thread is I might be in the same boat OP is in. But until clutch doesn't disengage, slips, or throwout bearing gives out, I'll just keep building up my left leg muscles by driving it to and from my cube each day. As long as I drive aggressively, it seems to be "in character" and works fine. Bottom line is I can't rationalize replacing it until it gets worse. I had the dealer Service Tech inspect it & drive it, and he claims it is a 70K clutch, as appropriate, stiffer than some, but not out of line with others, has considerable life left, and not causing any other damage except perhaps to my knee and lower back). Besides, who needs a clutch except at initial launch from rest.

I am in the same boat. With the OBXT being the only car with a clutch that I am driving now, it doesn't seem that odd. It seemed super stiff when I was still driving my old '97 OB, but doesn't really bother me now. Until it starts slipping or the engine needs to come out for something else, I am going to leave it alone...

Doug

Originally Posted by Impatient

BTW, my current 07 XT clutch is stiff, and the reason I responded to this thread is I might be in the same boat OP is in. But until clutch doesn't disengage, slips, or throwout bearing gives out, I'll just keep building up my left leg muscles by driving it to and from my cube each day. As long as I drive aggressively, it seems to be "in character" and works fine. Bottom line is I can't rationalize replacing it until it gets worse. I had the dealer Service Tech inspect it & drive it, and he claims it is a 70K clutch, as appropriate, stiffer than some, but not out of line with others, has considerable life left, and not causing any other damage except perhaps to my knee and lower back). Besides, who needs a clutch except at initial launch from rest.