The transmission system moves power from the engine to the wheels. It’s made up of different components, and each one plays a vital role in its operation. One of these parts is the throwout bearing, which could affect your ride’s performance if it’s faulty or damaged.
A throwout bearing or clutch release bearing helps the engine disengage from the wheels when the driver steps on the clutch pedal.
Like other bearings, the throwout bearing essentially connects moving and non-moving parts. In this case, it’s between the clutch pressure plate, which spins while the vehicle is moving, and the hydraulic slave cylinder, a non-moving part.
When you step on the clutch pedal, the throwout bearing presses against the fingers of the pressure plate, lifting the pressure plate’s clamping force from the asbestos-lined clutch disc, which is splined to the transmission input shaft and is clamped between the pressure plate, and the flywheel when the clutch is released.
When force is exerted on the center of the plate, the pressure is released from the clutch disc forced against the flywheel. This allows the engine to operate without transferring torque to the transmission or transaxle.
Like any other auto part, throwout bearings can get damaged and malfunction. Some telltale signs of a bad throwout bearing include strange noises, a vibrating clutch pedal, shifting issues, and a stiff clutch pedal.
When you hear unusual noises whenever you step on the clutch pedal or noises that change when you operate the clutch with the engine running, you might be dealing with a bad throwout bearing.
The throwout bearing might be starting to wear when you feel vibrations pressing down on the clutch pedal. This occurs when the bearing can’t align well with the pressure plate.
Like most auto parts, bearings need lubrication to prevent them from grinding into other components. If the lubrication between the release bearing and the bearing retainer collar wears out or is insufficient, the pedal can become stiffer and can even fail to release. This could lead to failure to disengage the clutch, making it impossible to shift gears at all.
Replacing the throwout bearing can be tricky because you’ll have to remove the flywheel bell housing first. If you’re not confident doing that, it’s best to leave the task to a licensed mechanic.
While the process can differ depending on the vehicle, here are the steps it usually involves:
There are also cases when the clutch slave cylinder needs to be replaced, and it’s very common to have slave cylinders come with the release bearing as part of that assembly.
A replacement throwout bearing typically costs between $30 and $100, with an average of $65.
Labor fees vary per auto shop, but they usually hover around $85 per hour. Because the replacement could take up to six hours, that’s a total of $510 in labor.
All in all, it costs approximately $575 to replace the throwout bearing if you ask a mechanic to do it for you.
The throwout bearing helps the engine disengage from the wheels whenever you step on the clutch pedal. Strange noises, vibration in the clutch pedal, shifting issues, and a stiff clutch pedal can indicate issues in this part.
The best course of action when dealing with a bad bearing is to take it to a mechanic for repairs or replacement.
The clutch release bearing plays an important role in manual transmission vehicles with a clutch. When the clutch release bearing wears out or fails, the weird noises or vibrations that it creates can be concerning. Replacing the faulty clutch release bearing should fix these issues. Need new clutch release bearings? Look no further than CarParts.com.
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