Singing........

ateday

Forum Member
Joined
May 2, 2014
Messages
971
Location
Happy Valley, not the loony bin, Adelaide.
Car Year
2002
Car Model
MY03 Forester
Transmission
5 sp manual, 1.59 LR
My ultra reliable MY03 Forester may not be so for a lot longer.
When starting motor from cold there is, what can only be described as, a light singing or squeaking sound from the front, ie in front of me in driver`s seat. It goes when clutch is depressed so presumably not thrust bearing. Noise is there, but not obtrusive, until motor, and gearbox, is warm when all is silent.
Gearbox bearings perhaps?
All suggestions welcome.
 
Last year I had a light squeaky noise which instantly stopped when clutch was pressed and then slowly wound up once foot was off clutch. Both my thrust bearing and spigot bearing were flogged out. Replacing these stopped the noise.

From my understanding (this may not be correct) when the thrust bearing first starts to go, it makes a small squeak when not under load as it is a bit loose, then pressing the clutch puts load on it, stopping the loose effect, stopping the noise. Once the thrust bearing gets worse it makes a louder squeaking noise only when under load, which is when you put your foot on the clutch.
 
Hi Red,
Your logic seems ok.
Thrust bearings seem only good for maybe, 150000 kms.
I`ve replaced two in my 340000 kms, last at 215000, so it may be due again.
I remember many years ago a mate and I both had Renault 10s. These cars used , carbon block, thrust bearings almost as consumables. Can`t remember how long they lasted but they were very cheap and we could replace them in both cars in a morning. Engine out, replace bearing, engine back.
Drove yesterday and little, if any noise. Very faint at its worst usually.
I`ll keep driving and observe progress and maybe bite the bullet and seek professional advice.
 
Water crossings can destroy these bearings
 
I had a similiar thing with a Datsun 1600 years ago. One of the diaphragm fingers had collapsed. Eventually it took the bearing as well.
 
The saga continues.
My trusty mechanic called in on both Weds and Thurs mornings on his way to work to hear my mysterious singing noise.
Of course nothing untoward at all, no noise, and so it has been since....
Hate these come and go potential problems. Obviously something is amiss but until it appears again I`ll just keep driving.
As the local SCC has cancelled the proposed Simpson crossing in July we shall now go to Perth. Before then I shall make a pilgrimage across to the S coast of NSW. The reasoning is that breaking down somewhere along the various NSW hwys is preferable to breaking down on the Nullabor somewhere.
If that noise does not appear then I`ll chance it to Perth.
 
Impressive how just the mere presence of a mechanic can fix a car, without him even having to touch it. Trouble is, I find their repairs to be only temporary.....
 
Incredible.
Just did a quick 3000+ kms return to the east coast and still no noise.
Off to Perth next week so here`s hoping........
Strange car mine. Some time ago I had a "lazy" synchro on the 4th to 5th up change which required a slight hold in neutral before pushing into 5th. It disappeared about a year ago and has not yet reappeared.
Something has to happen soon. Hopefully not halfway across the Nullabor.
 
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Hope that works perfectly for you, mate.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip to the west. I'm envious ...
 
My (trusty) MY03 continues its, almost, silent life. Leaving tomorrow for WA so hope it stays that way.
Should arrive on about Friday and will be based at Chidlow for a couple of weeks with the family. Being the eternal optimist all will be well with no more singing.
 
Well the song was sung......
Nearly 7000 kms and just under 4 weeks later we are back in Adelaide, almost without incident.
The noisy thrust bearing, as indeed that is what it was, remained silent for about 9000 kms in total until about 200 kms out of Adelaide on the return journey when total clutch failure occurred. My better half was at the wheel and was about to take off from a short refreshment stop when she could not find any gears. She asked me to drive and I couldn`t find any either.......
The clutch pedal went flat to the floor so after a few "buggers" I managed to start the (almost) trusty beast in first gear and slowly and gently worked my way into 5th. And so we continued through the bucketing rain and gusting wind until we reached traffic light territory. I could negotiate the first couple of red lights by slowly and gently changing down to come to a stop until the battery decided it didn`t like this little game and refused to start the car in first.
Time to call the RAA but at least we were within their free towing range so now a new clutch, thrust bearing and spigot bearing later I am mobile again, not to mention somewhat lighter in my wallet!!!
I can only thank Patrick and Roger at Down South Car Repairs for allowing me to leave a broken down Forester at his (workshop`s) front door at about midnight on last Tuesday. I left it completely in his hands and was about to call him yesterday arvo to see if he had had a chance to look at the problem(s) when he rang me to say come and pick it up, it`s finished.
Good service indeed.
The story morals are that a singing noise from the clutch region "may" give you about another 9000 kms before total failure and the synchro on a Subaru gearbox is pretty good.
 
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Happy to see you were almost home before it gave up!
 
Hi Gil,
that's a big bugger! Lucky that you were close to home.Did you need a new battery as well? Probably a good thing that your Simpson Desert crossing didn't go ahead.
Cheers,
HC
PS: the Victorian Subaru 4wd Club has completed the crossing of the Simpson Desert and are now heading down the Birdsville Track today.
 
"Happy to see you were almost home before it gave up"
Yes I sure was as it could have been a lot worse. Suspect the middle of the Nullabor is not a desirable place to break down.
Battery is ok, just, I suspect, starting in first a number of times drained it at a faster rate than it could be recharged. Alternator is original also so it can`t be at 100% efficiency either.
 
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