Is my clutch going?

[02_Legacy]

So just the other day I was jamming out to the radio, and I heard a slight sound as I took off from a stop light, Turned down the radio and listened and nothing, so I continued jamming. Then the same thing happened again. Turns out now my clutch is making a noise everytime it slips, does this mean my clutch is going, or is it a bearing, any ideas? It is kinda hard to describe, its like a whining if you guys don't know what it is I'll try and get a sound clip.
It isn't a huge bother, it has actually made me a better driver I think because now I actually think about the clutch, but anyways, I would still like to know what it is. Thanks.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/05/th_subynoise-1.jpg (http://s876.photobucket.com/albums/ab323/L_C99/?action=view&current=subynoise.flv)

[green97gt]

sounds like the throw out/pilot bearings. if you buy clutch kit, it usually comes with those, at least for other manufatcurers, ive never done a subaru clutch.

i would be more worried about the slipping.

but sounds like you need one, so do everything while your in there.

[02_Legacy]

The clutch dosent slip unless I do it. The clutch still feels fine, its just makes that noise if I intentially make it slip.

[green97gt]

oooh....ok, i gotcha...

lets see, if i remember correctly.....

if you have the clutch pedal pushed in(no drivetrain connection) and you hear the whining its the pilot bearing, if you have the clutch pedal NOT(drivetrain connected) pushed in and you hear the whine it is the throwout bearing.

if you hear in when pressing the clutch, like from a stop or changing gears it is most likely the throwout bearing.

in case you didnt know the throwout bearing is the one that rides on the spring fingers of the clutch, and when you push the clutch, it pushes the fork against the throwout bearing, and the clutch is disconnected.

the pilot bearing is the little one at the tip of the input shaft of the trans, and it rides in the flywheel. the reason you dont hear this bearing when the clutch pedal isnt depressed is that the flywheel and the input shaft of the trans are moving at the same speed, as they are locked together by the clutch...

so i guess, when you slip the clutch, it could be either i spose...

but either way, they get real....real loud and irritating before replacement is essential.

[02_Legacy]

It could be a bearing, but like you said it doesn't happen at one time or another it happens when the clutch slips which makes me think it has something to do with the clutch. Do clutches have a wear mark in them, like some kinda material that will make noise so you know when the friction material is getting low? I know some brake pads have this.

[02_Legacy]

Bump for video in first post. In the video I was in 5th gear with the parking brake on, because it only makes the noise when the clutch slips. Anybody have any idea.

[StatGSR]

Do clutches have a wear mark in them, like some kinda material that will make noise so you know when the friction material is getting low?

just the rivets holding the friction material on, but generally you will get slipping first. once there is to little friction material it will hardly be able to make contact with both the flywheel and pressure plate at the same time.

i know when i burnt off one whole side of my clutch, there was zero clutch engagement at all because the disk was no longer thick enough to be in contact with both the flywheel and pressure plate.

[mike-tracy]

Yeah I just replaced my clutch because it sounded like that. I had the flywheel turned, and bought a clutch kit which came with everything else needed. When my old stuff was out, I noticed the clutch disc itself had a little meat left but the throwout bearing was clearly shot - when you spin it by hand it was very loud. However, before I heard the noise like in your video, I noticed the clutch slipping more and more. Then it seemed to get better on it's own, then later on the noise appeared. All in the spread of 2 weeks or so.

[02_Legacy]

Update: the noise dissappeared just as fast as it came. No sign of it anymore, so i dont know if I was lucky or maybe something got jammed between the clutch and flywheel or what, but for now its fixed and hopefully it doesn't come back. I would still be nice to know what it was though. :smt017

[ouch1011]

If it happened only when the clutch was partially engaged and no at any other time, it would pretty much have to be something grinding between the clutch disk and flywheel/pressure plate.