Manual car owners know the clutch is a regular service unit. Over time, the clutch pressure plate and surface wear out. Replacing this doesn’t bother most. However, you will get worried when components like the throwout bearing on the clutch linkage wear out and start making an annoying noise.
What Does the Throwout Bearing Do?
A flywheel bearing is a point on which the clutch assembly slides towards the flywheel when you depress the clutch pedal. This process pushes the pressure plate’s fingers against the spring holding them in place, allowing the clutch to release.
Even though the bearing is resilient and will outlast a couple of clutch changes, it will eventually go out. The time the throwout bearing remains operational before it starts squeaking depends on how you use the clutch.
If you apply the clutch smoothly, avoid ridding it, and don’t do a lot of starts and stop driving, you will not have to replace your throwout bearing as much.
Why is My Throwout Bearing Noisy and Squeaky?
Your throwout bearing should be smooth and silent when you engage or disengage the clutch. Any squeaking or grinding noise that happens with your foot down on the clutch pedal and disappears when you lift off means the throwout bearing is faulty.
The sound will be an annoying rattle or grinding. Once it appears, the noise will worsen until your throwout bearing fails.
How Long Will the Bearing Last Once it Gets Noisy?
There is no definite answer to this. A noisy throwout bearing could last you an hour or up to five years. It all depends on:
- The specific wear or damage to the bearing
- Quality of the bearing
- How you drive (smooth clutch application, start and stop traffic)
The wisest thing to do once you suspect your throwout bearing is noisy would be to service and replace it as soon as possible.
Don’t Confuse Spring or Pedal Travel Noise with the Bearing Noise
Remember, the clutch pedal itself sits on a pivot and has a return spring that pulls it back when you release the pedal.
This mechanism is in no way related to the throwout bearing. However, since it is in the cabin, any squeak or noise in the pedal will be very easy to pick up.
The difference with a throwout bearing is these noises will only happen when the pedal is in motion.
You will hear the squeak or grind when actively pushing the pedal down or lifting it up. The noise intensity will vary to match the rate at which you operate the pedal.
Some greasing or WD40 on the pedal and spring should alleviate the noise.
Other Signs and Symptoms of a Failing Throwout Bearing
Here are other signs and symptoms to help you narrow down the problem to a failing or damaged throwout bearing on your clutch system:
A Vibrating Clutch Pedal
Normally, there shouldn’t be any vibration feedback from the clutch pedal. As such, you will notice new vibrations when you operate the pedal. This vibration means one or more parts of your clutch system is faulty.
One of the things that could fail and cause the vibration is your throwout bearing.
A Rough Clutch Actuation Feel
A well-working clutch should travel smoothly in and out. There shouldn’t be unexpected resistance (unless you are at the biting point).
Unexpected sponginess, stiffness, or no further travel, even when the clutch isn’t fully disengaged, could mean your throwout bearing is faulty.
Hard Gear Changes
If the throwout bearing is hampering clutch travel, it could mean that you have to change the gears on a clutch that isn’t fully disengaged. This will either make gears harder to change or even make the vehicle to stall if the gear engages with the engine load still too high.
While other issues could make gear changes harder, you should also consider checking the throwout bearing, especially if you have ruled out any other simple related problems.
Complete Clutch Failure
If the bearing is completely seized, it will hinder full clutch travel. This will either prevent your clutch from disengaging or disengaging. This will effectively render your transmission inoperable hence the vehicle useless until serviced.