The car has developed a whining sound on overrun when driving
through all the gears. Is this a sign of a new clutch on the
horizon? I don't have any problems with slipping clutch at all
and no probs putting it into gear. The whine disappears when we
drop the clutch.
The car is a 94wrx with roughly 50k on the clock. If it does need replacing is it better to get a oe clutch or, say an AP item, and how much you looking at for supply & fit etc...

CRAFThttp://www.contrabandent.com/pez//otn/wink/thumb.gif

Craft

It sounds more like gearbox bearings. You say you get the whining on over run. Do you get any whine when accelerating? Does the sound go when you depress the clutch?

If it is gearbox bearings, check the oil for metal particles. If there aren't any, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I have had a whining gearbox for 2 years now and nothing serious has happened yet.

CW, the whine is not there when we accelerate, and it does disappear when we dip the clutch. When you say check the oil, you do mean the gearbox oil and not engine? How would I go about checking the gearbox oil, can it be done diy, or a mechanic?

CRAFThttp://www.contrabandent.com/pez//otn/wink/thumb.gif

Craft,

Yes, I mean the gearbox oil. You could do it yourself. If the gearbox oil is due for a change - every 30k miles - just change the oil. Check the old oil for any metal. If it is not due for a change, then you will need to catch the oil - 4 litres - and then put it back in the gearbox. Putting oil in the 'box is a pain in the arse, as it goes in the small opening, which holds the dipstick. Best to get one of those litre bottles with a plastic tube. Some gear oil comes in such containers.

Clutches usually just start slipping. They don't whine. The clutch on my WRX MY96 is just starting to slip, when accelerating hard in 4th and 5th gear. That's after 85k miles, so I can't complain.

Anyway I hope it's nothing serious.