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So I bought a 2002...

10K views 41 replies 13 participants last post by  crazilywrx 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

I decided to buy that 2002, and had a quick question about the way the clutch is supposed to feel in that car. I've had a few hydraulic clutch vehicles and the pedals usually depress like butter. But in my new 2002 WRX, the clutch feels a lot tougher to depress. It feels more like a cable clutch to me. Is this normal?? Is anyone out there familiar with the feel of hydraulic clutches and cable clutches that can help me decide whether or not this is normal??
 
#3 ·
It's stiffer then I am normally used to. Every hydraulic clutch car I've ever driven, you can depress the clutch pedal with 0 effort. This one seems to have more resistance while trying to depress the pedal. Is there a way to bleed the hydraulic clutch system? Did this help clear up the problem?
 
#4 ·
Oh ok, so what if it feels stiffer, every car has a different clutch feel... Now, if you have had the car for a while and now the clutch feels tighter, then there might be something up, but if it just feels different then all the other cars you've driven, could just be because it has a different clutch in it.... Possiblly an upgrade clutch. I've heard that upgraded clutches can do this...
 
#5 ·
I know that it may be normal, but I found it slightly odd that every hydraulic clutch I've ever driven has a smooth clutch with no resistance in the pedal. I only bought this car a few days ago, so I wouldn't know if there has been any change and this is the first WRX I've driven. I think I need to feel the clutch dis-engagement in another WRX to see if it's just me.
 
#11 ·
The last time I had this problem was with my 240SX. The clutch was difficult to compress so I changed the line to a steel braided unit. Immediately after bleeding the line I noticed a very substantial difference. The clutch pedal felt nearly identicle to the gas pedal.

Although this case was NOT with a WRX, the insight may still be useful.
 
#12 ·
Thanks, I will give it a try. Has anyone changed their clutch line? I was wondering if there was any difference between the STI, Mach V, or Goodrich braided lines. I also want to buy a repair book for the car. Haynes, Chilton, Bentley?? Which one is the most detailed or best for repair on our vehicles?
 
#17 ·
Haynes, Chilton, Bentley?? Which one is the most detailed or best for repair on our vehicles?
Bentley all the way if available. More detailed and easy to follow step by step than Haynes. Next to the actual shop manual from factory its the best. I bought a Bentley for all my Germans and performed many repairs with somewhat ease, that I would not have otherwise attempted. !Thumbs Up
 
#13 ·
I have always personally always bought haynes for any of my vehicles. It isnt extremely detailed about HOW to do something exactly but it tells you exactly what needs to be done and gives different ratings. Plus its like $20 lol.

If the clutch line is anything like the two ive done in my life (replaced one with stock lol it was cut) then it should be pretty easy. Hard to say!
 
#14 ·
go to the subaru dealer and ask to test drive a WRX and see if it feels the same. Hell, you probably just need to sit in one and depress the petal to see if it's anything abnormal or just something you're not used to yet.

It is pretty stiff though right from the factory.
 
#15 ·
Thank you all for your help. I love message boards cause you always get more help quicker then if you went to a shop or a dealership. I'm going to do a forum search on the steel braided clutch lines but if anyone has any input as to which one is better, let me know.
 
#16 ·
The steel braided should be all relatively the same regardless of brand. Its a steel braided line... however, dont cheap out too much lol.

Changing the line is always a nice little mod that can be done relatively easily. No it doesnt make you go faster, no it doesnt save weight. Its not a go-fast happy mod but it is very nice. It allows the clutch to be pressed easier due to the line not flexing, stretching, and contracting from fluid pressure. Plus it is fairly cheap :) Do let us know what you find!
 
#18 ·
Well I ended up going with the Mach V clutch line. It was decently priced, and looked close to the quality of the pink STI one. Pink? I never understood why. HAHA.

Tsuiso, I've been building American muscle cars for a long time, and have only owned one import vehicle, so I'm not one of those kids who think that cool neon lights add 12 volt horsepower. HAHA. I want a smoother clutch feel.

I also noticed some threads about adjusting the clutch push rod. Does this hurt the clutch if you adjust it to grab lower in the travel? I don't like a clutch that grabs so high at the end of the pedal travel.

As far as the repair manual goes, I couldn't find it in Hayes, Chilton, or Bentley. Subaru wants all my limbs for theirs. I have access to Alldata, but even their repair instructions are not the best.

Also, has anyone done their own timing belt and water pump? Is there really a special tool to pull the cam gears? Or have you found other ways to get them off?

I really, really appreciate the patience and understanding as I learn about these vehicles.
 
#20 ·
As far as the repair manual goes, I couldn't find it in Hayes, Chilton, or Bentley. Subaru wants all my limbs for theirs. I have access to Alldata, but even their repair instructions are not the best.

I really, really appreciate the patience and understanding as I learn about these vehicles.
Shop manual it is. I cant believe I couldn't find at least a Haynes for our cars? They make one for everything.

Heres a freebee. What I looked at wasnt too bad for starters...ok its bad. Some info, 681 pages.

PDF link: 19 MB - 56k stay away :pity:
http://www.cannell.co.uk/Subaru_Workshop_Manuals/2002_impreza_sti.pdf
 
#19 ·
ok, i didnt read all the posts but i couldn't bring myself to use that kind of valuable time to end up posting this anyway;

dude. its an fn clutch, its not a rubix cube or an elaborate mathematical algorithm. don't over think it.

Clutch pre-drive check list
does it work?

no srsly; thats it. go drive now.

edit: well this will quickly become disaster i assure you. as the page refreshed i couldn't help but notice you where the last poster in the thread, and your post began with "Well I ended up going with the Mach V clutch line." srsly? performance clutch lines? what will they think of next? and to answer your follow up question, subaru technica international's logo is pink, so thats why. so now out of reflex i went and read what will undoubtedly be sound assurance that some 3rd party product will perform some magic. suffice is to say, i was not disappointed.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I'm not overthinking it, I just want it to feel right for me. It's so awkward for me, and I look like a retard coming out of first gear cause it jerks a bit since I'm not used to the way it catches. I dunno, Im going to try changing the clutch line and bleeding it. If it doesn't work the way I want, then I'll just get used to it.

Nose Nugget, no offense but this is the Newbie section, don't give me the impression that some people on this board are J-O's, instead of really understanding, helpful people. I know why the logo is pink, but it's just the most random color. I'm not trying to be a tough guy here, so don't take offense by this comment. Thank you for your opinion and help.
 
#24 ·
telling you how to make the clutch feel like every other car you have driven would not be helpful, i think is the point im making. you would be far better off learning how to adjust so you dont "look like a retard coming out of first gear" when ever you jump in a car with a non-hydrolic clutch.

and i stand behind my original statement, you are over thinking it.

if you knew why it was pink why bother asking? what makes it random? how can a logo color be random? if anything, being that its a color rarely seen on a logo i would say its unique.

im not taking offense, if i was somehow offended you would certainly know it. i have this horrible sense of humor that can only be described as harsh unrelenting sarcasm which does not transfer well through text and i simply cant help it. damn shame really.
 
#25 ·
NN sure does have one of those "unique"senses of humor. Just like cherry-blossom red is a unique color. Don't get butt hurt over it, just realize he knows what he's talking about and he can help you out.

My advice would be to try keeping your heel on the floorboard when you're letting off the clutch. It will help you be much smoother and once you get used to it you can start doing it with your heel in the air. Or keep doing it with your heel on the floorboard. I find it makes it easier to get a good launch without bogging.

Flushing your clutch or getting new lines might make the pedal slightly easier to depress, but it's not going to miraculously make you look like you know what you're doing when you pull away from a stoplight. The nature of the engagement will still be the same. Practice practice practice.
 
#26 ·
Change the clutch line, you will see a difference.

I didnt mean to condensend to you and think you were a ricer lol I just wanted to explain, in case you didnt know, what the streel braided does.

I agree to an extent what nugget said, yah its a clutch drive it, but why not do what you can to make it comfortable for you. After all, a car is a people mover and what you choose and what you want out of it is entirely up to you.
 
#27 ·
Thank you for all your help guys. I'm sure everyone on here is helpful, and the few who have responded have been helpful.

NN, I have a friend who has the same way about him, and it took me a while to warm up to him. It's just a totally different clutch then anything else I've driven. And I've driven things from Domestic, to Italian. Actually most Ferrari's have a stiff clutch too, but it catches a lot lower in the travel then the clutch on the WRX.

I'm sure most of you are right though, just gotta get used to it. I'm gonna install the SS clutch line anyways, bleed it and see how it feels after that. I'll let you know what I think from my own experience. Thank you everyone, even you Nose Nugget HAHA.
 
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