2011 WRX Clutch Creaking

make sure you check all the things i mentioned in my first post. there's a lot of parts of the clutch system that can make noise. and people call things the wrong noise as well in their posts which means they post about a squeak but it's actually a creak. the actual noise matters because certain parts make certain noises!

back to the issue.

here's some tips.

firewall issues usually make 'pop noises' that turn into creaking when clutch is depressed. firewall issues are resolved by bolts and screws or the dealer welding the plate under the dash.

pedals tend to make 'squeak noises' inside the cabin and are resolved by high quality grease on the springs and rubber boots.

slave cylinder push rod noises are very common on manual cars in general and make a 'creak noise' very similar to a door creaking sound.

transaxle/transmission fork has a pivot point just inside the transmission hole (just under the boot you can see inside from the top of the transaxle) and it too makes a 'creak noise' similar to a door creaking sound. Many cars you can grease this pivot point with high temp grease but WRXs is almost impossible as there's no room to get the grease in the pivot ball socket where the grease is needed and the creak is emitting from. I got grease in there after 2 hours of work. DO NOT SPRAY WD40 or lubricant into your transaxle. You can ONLY use high quality synthetic grease and ONLY a 'pea' or 'peanut' size amount, especially on the pivot point of the fork just inside the transaxle (this pivot point on WRXs is about 3 inches below the slave cylinder rod socket and is where the fork pivots inside the transaxle)

what worked for my problem and probably applies to a ****load of WRXs making these clutch creak noises?

I cleaned and greased the slave cylinder push rod and the fork clutch push rod socket where they contact and move. I also pulled out the boot which you just pull it up and out and locate the fork pivot point just inside the transmission and put a pea sized high temp grease on top of the pivot area. You will NOT be able to get the grease inside the pivot socket on a WRX, there's no room. But you can put some grease just above and hope like i did a engine temp would allow the grease to fall/melt down into the socket. Many WRX people have not been able to try this and just live with the creak sound. I didn't accept this and did the above procedure.

put everything back together (i forgot to mention to get to all this **** you have to unbolt and remove the intercooler which isn't as bad as it sounds).

Creak on my WRX was reduced on clutch movement 50%.

Drive to Subaru dealer to check warranty right after and bitch them out. Spoke with service manager and went to show them clutch noises and NOTHING. Butter smooth, almost zero noise or creak or anything. He laughed at me.

His statement after so showed him pics of all the work I described above is that no one has been able to lube the inside transaxle pivot point in his 15 years.

Do not do the inside transaxle part if you are not comfortable. If you drop anything inside you are fu****. If you break anything inside you are fu****. If you put too much grease and the grease gets onto the clutch or flywheel surface you are fu****.

So i'll monitor over the next weeks with temps as low as 35 and high as 60, i'm in the desert so it's very dry here but raining sometimes this week so varying humidity. I mention temps and humid as many WRX owners notice specifically creak noises after trips to the beach or really cold weather or really humid weather or really hot weather.

Here's a note too. Many of you with creaking can probably FIRST get away with fully cleaning and lubing the slave cylinder push rod and fork push rod socket and putting it back together. Most of you probably don't need to do the transaxle pivot. My pivot was dry as fu*** and there was a lot of dirt and sh** before I did the procedure above.

So there you go. I'll listen to it over the next days and weeks and see how she does!