If I have to get a clutch kit which ones do you recommend. I've read about- Act and Subie - what are the advantages of the Act clutch?

 

And (don't laugh) - which one would be more expensive?

 

01 forester

 

last question - don't see forester listed on the Act website but it does have legacy listed. Does the legacy clutch work in the forester?

new subaru pressure plate, clutch disc, pilot bearing and throwout bearing was around $200 from 1stsubaruparts.com.

 

i had the flywheel machined for about $20 at a machine shop. 7k mile later, i've been very pleased with the results...

 

as for an act clutch, i don't think i could really justify spending the extra $$... i think it was about double for just the clutch and pressure plate...

You should check with Subaru. I believe that the newest clutch componetry comes as a kit. The kit contains the flywheel, cover,disc and bearing. The flywheel is the source of the vibration problems. I would only use oe parts.

had the flywheel machined for about $20 at a machine shop

 

Theotherskip, did you have the flywheel machined on its entire surface or only where the clutch disk contacts it?

the machinist ground the whole surface. he put it on some kind of a milling machine that put a cross-hatch on it. i originally thought that they would lathe it like rotors, but i apparently that's not hot they do it.

 

if you are sending it out, be sure to mark any reference marks off of the surface, as he pulled all of the pins out to mill it (though he did put them back in the same place).

When the whole surface is machined like you say is it necessary to shim something (the throw out bearing maybe) to take into account the material removed? Or is it too insignificant to bother with?

i think it falls into the latter category. i think there is enough play in the throwout bearing and travel that it has to let you grind the flywheel a few times, though i didn't actually measure it...

 

the hydraulic clutch will automatically adjust itself so the sweet spot is at the same spot as the old clutch.

I'm going to beat a dead horse here because I'm not fully up to date on it, but should she worry about getting a shudder-prone OEM clutch? Believe it or not, I think a problematic OEM clutch was put on my Legacy, since it will shudder very badly if engaged improperly...

Me too Subyluvr, and my the dealer who fitted it, doesn't care

... is the shudder actually hurting anything?

 

I ask this because the car shifts fine otherwise. The only time it shudders is when it is cold outside and the car has sat for a few hours.

bad technique can make any clutch shudder after a while. some are more prone to it than others. subaru has definately made improvements to the newer clutches to fix some problems with the older ones.

 

studder can be bad for the engine and drivetrain. instead of smoothly applying power to it, you will be alternating between the engine jerking the drivetrain, and the drivetrain jerking the engine. it can trash bearings and gears...