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"stock clutch replacement...what should I get?

('06-'08) 
21K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  RivBlueNoma 
#1 ·
'07 2.5X, 143k miles...

For a while I've been hearing some bearing noise with the clutch depressed and today it became much worse. I'm better that my throwout bearing is going bad. With as many miles as the Forester has and the towing abuse its received I'm also betting that while my clutch is still alright it wouldn't be worth it to put everything back together without replacing it (I'll be doing it myself. I haven't done a Subaru clutch but have done a few other vehicles).

So, what should I get? I plan to resurface the flywheel but should I replace it instead? Is there anything else I should replace aside from the disk, pressure plate, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing? I would also think I should replace the slave cylinder unless you guys say "those never go bad" (I replaced the one in my Explorer due to the forum indicating "those do go bad."

I priced it out at the dealer and those 5 items run about $380.

My googling and searching of the forum seems to indicate there's pretty much just 3 companies that actually make the stuff which gets sold under a lot of aftermarket brands and through OEM's. Is this true? The Perfection stuff at Advance was like $225 if I remember right (minus the slave cylinder) and Exedy stuff on ebay is like $160 or something.

With the mileage accumulated plus the rear end collision on its record my Forester is worth much so I plan on keeping it a long while and would rather not have to do this again or at least anytime soon.

Aside from the WRX exhaust swap I don't plan on any real performance mods. I tow a bit but my heavy towing is handled by the LeSabre now. I don't think I need to "upgrade" (maybe a "stage 1") and just want something that isn't garbage and should last at least as long as the first one did.

What would you guys suggest to buy?
 
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#2 ·
OEM is good. Otherwise Exedy or ACT would be a good bet.

I have a hard time trusting many of the chain part store's branded stuff (Napa, autozone, etc) as they tend to be substandard parts. For some cheap maintenance parts/fluids, yeah they're fine, but for a clutch (even if you don't beat on it, or tow) it's not something you want to fall apart or burn out quickly.
 
#3 ·
Agree. I'd never put in a Napa or Autozone branded clutch (or any part that requires significant labor to reach). I don't care if it's "LIFETIME GUARANTEED" or not. OEM is what I'd use for a clutch.
I haven't put a clutch in a car in many, many years but if I were just replacing the throw-out bearing I never re-surfaced the flywheel. Maybe I was too poor back then, I guess it's just good practice to re-surface the 'wheel?
 
#4 ·
Exedy OEM... amazon...

Exedy OEMs for a LOT of companies, it's possible the stocker is Exedy..

Have the flywheel resurfaced via blanchard grinder, not lathe cut.. (trust me here, doo eet) or simply replace it, subaru doesn't offer a minium thickness for them, they don't cut them, they simply replace them..

My Exedy KSB04 (RS fitment) holds my 300+hp with a "stock" pedal feel... and it's cheap..
 
#5 ·
If you have to drive in stop-n-go traffic, I highly recommend keeping the stock clutch, pressure plate, (2 pc) flywheel, and other OEM parts. It just feels better.

I had Sachs kit that had a bad TB. Next, an Exedy aftermarket was better but was still jerky, even with a new flywheel. Yes, Exedy does make the OEM subaru clutch, however there is something different with the components of the assembly that makes a difference in the feel of the clutch that is more smooth and less jerky.

I used aftermarket clutch kits from Autozone etc with late 70s- early 80s toyota, mazda, and nissan and this is the first car I have had that was picky about the clutch parts.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the replies guys.

Through my dealer parts are about $400 (not including flywheel).

Most of my driving is highway but I don't like the sound of having the pedal feel weird or jerky (I own a manual trans and love operating one).

I'm planning on picking up a cheap transmission jack from harbor freight and some jackstands ("lost" them due to my parents divorcing).

I used a Perfection clutch kit from Advance in my '92 Explorer back in the day and it worked just fine but I didn't keep it for as many miles as I plan to keep the Forester and parts vary by application (thank goodness for vehicle specific forums).

I know I can't go wrong buying from the dealer but the entire project can be done for under $400 otherwise. I'm comfortable enough doing it myself but it's not like I pull transmissions for fun.

I'm driving my mom's Durango and have a paycheck or two to wait. I haven't decided which way I'll be going on parts but still have some time to decide. I'll be posting back
 
#7 ·
I ended up beginning the project (with a Perfection/Brute Force clutch set from ebay), gave up before removing the trans, towed it to the dealer, and had them put in an OEM set.

I ended up parking the Forester for a while due to finances and not being able to pay for the parts but got it back out due to a snow storm. During that storm the throwout bearing self destructed which caused the mounting tab in the bellhousing that the clutch fork bolts to to break off from the rest of the casing (dealer suggested I have it "welded" so I had that done and brought it back to them). Also caused the pressure plate to "blow apart" as indicated on the bill and the tech's oral explanation. He said the flywheel was in good shape (which surprised me). So after $1410 to the dealer and $100 or so for welding (took it to a high end welding shop since I wanted to make sure it didn't fail again), Forester's back in action
 
#10 ·
The throwout bearing and pressure plate that self destructed was original. They found the fork mounting tab to be broken which I can believe happened while I was driving it since the pedal went to the floor when the bearing failed and when I looked under the hood I saw that the fork was misaligned with the master cylinder and loose. More issues though that I'm about to post about
 
#11 ·
Did a search on clutch replacement and came across this post.

For a 2007 Forester Sports XT, what exactly are the clutch options out there from Exedy and ACT?

Looking at the Exedy website, it shows '15804 Stage 1 Organic Clutch Kit'.
The details on their site also says 'must use Exedy FF502 Flywheel.'
Is the Flywheel a must do also, or can you just machine the OEM one?
15804 is also listed for the 2006-2011 Subaru WRX.
Now look what I found on the ACT website.

Looking at the ACT website, there appears to be no kits available for the 2007 Forester XT.
However, when I search under a 2007 Impreza WRX, 'SB5-HDSS' shows up as the correct fitment, but is out of stock at the moment.

Are the transmissions between the 2007 FXT and 2007 WRX exactly the same 'PUSH' type clutch?
If so, either of the part numbers above should work, right?

Anyone have experiences with either clutch kits mentioned above?

Your feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
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