release bearing noise.

[qwik2k2z24]

I am pushing about 178K miles and it seams im having a noise coming from my trans.. seams when clutch is pushed in the sound goes away. time for a new clutch kit? anyway to fix it without dropping trans? go all out and replace clutch setup?

[jmgtp]

If the noise is a new development and you have 178k on the original clutch - replace the whole thing.

It probably is a worn release bearing but at that kind of mileage it would be poor logic to replace individual clutch components only to have something else fail and go through all the trouble again.

Trans and engine need to come apart to service it, no way around that. I dropped the trans out the bottom on mine and thought the job was fairly straightforward and easy - there were no surprises. I have heard others leave the trans in place and pull the engine or at least rock it very far forward. Preference I guess - my vote is trans out the bottom. You can pick up a trans head adapter for a floor jack pretty cheap on ebay and that makes the job like cake.

Parts + Machine Shop Time my total cost was roughly $350-400 but that includes a $120+ Tranquil clutch sleeve/oversize release bearing for the trans snout

[qwik2k2z24]

thanks, il make sure to replace the whole setup. i have access to a lift so it should cut time down alot.

have any suggestions for a brand name OEM strength clutch kit at a decent price? ive found some Exedy kits but unsure of their quality

[jmgtp]

Exedy seems to be the way to go for a quality replacement. I used an OEM equivalent Exedy replacement and have had no issues. Exedy is actually the OEM supplyer. If you're buying a kit off eBay be careful because there are fake Exedy kits. If I recall correctly the Exedy website has information on how to detect a fake from a genuine Exedy clutch kit. I'm not sure if all Subarus are subject to the trans snout wear (where the release bearing rides - causes shuddering) but you may want to look into that as well. Tho, if you have 170k+ miles and it hasn't made itself evident you probably don't have much to worry about.

A lift will make things easier, more so if you have a real transmission jack or at least a 2nd set of hands to help you pull it out. The trans isn't very heavy but it is bulky and can be cumbersome to handle. I did mine start to finish in a weekend on jackstands with plenty of time to spare so a lift should really speed things along.

[qwik2k2z24]

thanks! big help guys.