Weird, clutch/transmission issue, Please Help!!!

Hello all,

something weird happened the other day. I was coasting down hill in 5th gear going about 50 mph, I lighted pressed on the brake and the whole car jerked. Felt like the wheels locked up even though they didn't. then a high pitched grinding/squealing noise took place. Pulled over and tried to take off again with a ton of clutch chatter and vibration in 1st gear. Pushed the car down hill to a fast enough speed to engage 2nd gear and nursed her home. Fast forward a couple days and the car's clutch feels very light, and there is a slight grinding/ scraping noise when under power and when slowing down but at cruising, noise stops. Any ideas as to what the problem is. I am not rich by any means so I would like to avoid taking it to a dealer as much as possible.

 

Thanks

Is your throwout bearing gone, mayhaps? They fail a lot on these cars. That's typically more of an issue when the clutch pedal is engaged, though.

 

Either way, your clutch needs work, it sounds like. Tow the car to a shop, or learn to replace it yourself.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Pleides

Yeah.. It seems like subaru finally did something about the TOB failures, or at least they're trying to. Newer TOB's should have high temp grease in them to make them last longer. I still wonder about the TOB's included in aftermarket clutch kits, if they'll be the updated ones purchased from the same manufacturer.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10150949-9999.pdf

 

As Pleides said, throw out bearings wearing out or failing seems common on our cars, before the clutch disc wears out. If you continue to drive with a damaged TOB, it can damage the transmission input shaft the TOB rides on. (I don't know if that's what's wrong with your car, but it's possible)

https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3286057&postcount=12

 

Sometimes a damaged shaft can be repaired with a sleeve installed over it

A few clutches ago, I bought a bunch of throw out bearings to compare. There was one really beefy one compared to the rest. I’d like to find it again. Anyone made a note of what brand they installed, how long it lasted? I also think that neutral idle time contributes to bearing life since the bearing spins all the time, even in neutral.

I've also been guilty of doing this in the past, resting my foot on the clutch pedal. Thankfully I've broken that habit.

 

"In cases where the operator keeps a foot on the clutch pedal for extended

periods, an increased amount of heat is generated which can cause the grease inside the bearing to deteriorate. In a case of prolonged clutch pedal application, seizure of the bearing can occur with potential damage to other related components. "

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10150949-9999.pdf