Pilot bearing crapping out. How worried should I be?

I'm experiencing a sort of light scratching / whining / grinding noise when I depress the clutch. It also feels like the clutch isn't as tight just as it engages. Took it to a mechanic who said it's just the pilot bearing but otherwise the clutch is fine and I shouldn't do anything until I experience something more significant.

 

Wondering how concerned I should be about this. Anyone else ever have this experience? I'd like to trust the mechanic and appreciate he's not trying to throw my car on the lift and empty my wallet but also don't want to experience a catastrophic failure far from home.

Pilot bearing or throw out bearing? Pilot bearings rarely wear out especially on these since they are an actual bearing

All I know is the mechanic said pilot bearing. He didn't even think there was a problem and I had to point it out. I suppose that's how subtle it is though to me driving it every day, I notice it like it's screaming at me. The slightest press on the pedal will initiate the noise.

 

Possible it's not wearing out and somehow it's just noisy now?

If you just slightly push the clutch pedal does it make that noise or only when it’s fully pressed or close to fully pressed?

It makes that noise at the slightest touch and doesn't seem to really change much throughout the range of travel. What does that mean and what do I need to think about it?

Post a video of the sound it makes.

 

If the throwout bearing is on its way out, then may be time to put a new one (and new clutch, etc). Don't want to scare you but if it suddenly fails, it may destroy the transmission snout.

Sounds to me like the throw out bearing. If it fails it can destroy the input shaft on the trans which is an extreme case but it can also destroy a perfectly fine clutch and leave you stranded. I’d plan a replacement and listen carefully to it, if it starts getting bad I’d just park it

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I'll have to post a video tomorrow but if (when) I do get it fixed, do you have a rough idea what I'm looking at for cost? I know it depends on where I am, who the mechanic is, etc. but am I looking at a $200-ish repair, an $800-ish repair, or somewhere in between?

 

The mechanic said because it's quite a bit of work to pull it apart I may as well replace the clutch while I'm at it but if the clutch is ok and it's just the bearing, would I be saving enough to justify just replacing the bearing?

If you are decent with tools I’d recommend doing it yourself. It’s really not a difficult job, as long as you have some mechanical inclination and maybe a friend if it’s your first rodeo. If you have a shop do it, it’ll be at least around $500 for removal and installation of the trans plus parts which I’m guessing will be around $300ish and whatever additional labor costs. I’m away from my computer so I can’t quote exact labor hrs.

Also he might have you replace the flywheel which would be another potentially unforeseen cost. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an estimate between $1,100 - $1,500.

Yeah, new clutch + pressure plate + throw out bearing + new flywheel can easily be 600$ or a bit more, + labor. You can save money by resurfacing your old flywheel if you have a single mass one.

One thing that will help us with a cost is, how many miles on the current clutch in the car ?

 

Does the car still have the OEM dual mass FW ?

 

You should replace the clutch kit and FW with a single mass FW from a 07-09 Legacy GT and matching clutch kit.

With labor your looking at least $1200, may be more towards $1400.

Trying to upload a short video so you can hear the noise but it keeps failing. I'm getting a second opinion this weekend from another mechanic I've used for years so that should settle the issue.

 

Car is at (ready for this?) 44K miles, OEM everything (except the air filter and an electronic boost upgrade). Seems odd anything regarding the clutch would start to fail so early and I do not abuse this car at all when driving. I drive it fast but I don't peel out and burn up the clutch.

 

I'm hoping that at such low mileage I will only have to replace the bearing because everything else will be a-ok. Love the idea of doing it myself but simply do not have the time and can't afford any problems if I run into trouble.

If you've been doing a lot of city driving, then I would not be surprised for the TOB to fail.

44k. That's really low!

 

 

Don't try to upload the video to the site. Upload to youtube and post the link here.

Thanks for the tip! Here's the link...

 

 

44K seems like really low mileage for anything to fail. I live in Los Angeles so I guess it's a good mix of city and highway driving.

Thanks for the tip! Here's the link...

 

 

44K seems like really low mileage for anything to fail. I live in Los Angeles so I guess it's a good mix of city and highway driving.

 

If the PO or yourself has gotten in the habit of leaving the car in gear at stoplights, then unlearn that ASAP for sure. Leaving the car in neutral with the clutch pedal not being touched is the way to wait for the light to turn green. On a car with a delicate TOB like ours, this is especially important.

Throw out bearing for sure. If everything’s in good shape you can get away with just doing the bearing as long as you can find a mechanic who’s willing to change just the bearing. But, the right thing to do would be to change it all.

 

I’m just going off the video here, but you had to point that noise out to your mechanic??

what about the tsk3 kit? Think there is any damage to the snout?

 

I’m just going off the video here, but you had to point that noise out to your mechanic??

 

 

What he said....if he didn't think there's was an issue, change mechanic! LOL

what about the tsk3 kit? Think there is any damage to the snout?

 

Basing this off of the sound of the video and how smooth pedal engagement still is along with the only complaint being sound, I’d bet that the bearing is still in the early stages of failing internally and hasn’t yet done any damage to the fingers on the pressure plate or the input shaft. A visual inspection will be the verdict.

Sucks that the visual inspection requires separation of the trans/engine.

Sucks the owner probably isn’t willing to drive the car to phoenix, I’d love to work on a low mile car lol

I tore the ears off the TOB a few blocks from the shop on the way in for a clutch replacement. Got super lucky! I wouldn't push it now that I know. Stared whiring noise and got difficult to shift a few blocks from the shop, so stopped shifting (did some rolling stops). Had no signs of issues on the way in but the last mile or so, was on the way in as maintenance item. This a 2005 LGT had DMF, is a dedicated family car BTW no upgrades. Now has SMF and the bearing retainer kit, shop said I got lucky everything looked good. GL

May be the mechanic can stick a bor-o-scope down the clutch fork boot and take a look at the TOB...?