1998 Forester Clutch Issues

I must add one more issue to this. The shift is very, very loose. Don't know if this is related, but whatever the case, it has to be fixed. If I'm in gear, it feels so loose that it seems like it could be neutral. Lots of play, maybe 8 or 9 inches in each direction.

Just because the dealership says there's no upgrade/TSB whatever doesn't mean;

A. you couldn't get after market discs/flywheels

B. there isn't something worn or broken

have a reputable mechanic inspect it.

Carl

The problem you are describing with the pedal sounds like a bad hydraulic cylinder. The first thing to try is bleeding the hydraulic system, it's possible there is just some air in it. Unless you know for a fact that the fluid has been changed recently, it should be flushed by repeated bleeding until all the old fluid is out and has been replaced by new clean fluid. If the pedal feels normal after bleeding/flushing then you may have just had old contaminated fluid and/or air in the system, but if the problem remains the next step is to replace BOTH the master and slave cylinders and bleed the system again. That should take care of it. The chatter is a separate issue and will probably require a new clutch, pressure plate, TO bearing and possibly flywheel to correct. Depending on the condition of the flywheel it may be possible to have it resurfaced instead of replacing it outright, but you can't tell until everything is apart for inspection. If the flywheel has cracks in the clutch contact area or shows discoloration (blueing) from overheating it must be replaced.

This again is a separate issue from your clutch related problems, most likely worn out bushings in the shifter linkage. Although, if it really has 8-9 inches of play and you are not exaggerating, there may be something else wrong. Part of the shifter mechanism may have become detached inside or under the car.