YOHO
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2016
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
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- Vehicle Year
- 1999
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Manual
Hi All! Most of the other forums didn't have much to say. Hopefully yall can help!! Sorry for long post but feel need to be specific.
First of all I’ll try to keep this short and specific as possible. I know this is a common problem. I’ve read bunches of forums, and talked to a few people, but still haven’t found the answer. Hopefully some mechanics out there can help me.
Vehicle Specs: 1999 Ford Ranger 2.5l 4 cyd 5 Speed 113,000 miles (Used as a commuter not work truck)
Problem:
Having common shifting stiffness/difficulty getting in gear. I think shifting slowly got worse over a few weeks until I noticed it. Had this problem before and after getting transmission work done. Driving me a bit crazy.
Analysis:
-With the car off: Shifts much much easier with the car off then on. A tiny amount of resistance when shifting with car off but this seems normal to me.
-With car on: Hardest to get in gear in 1st, 2nd, and reverse, 3rd and 5th next hardest, 4th is okay (I assuming because 1:1 ratio)
-While driving: Difficulty level to get in gear highest to lowest (2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 4th, )
-While driving: Gets easier to shift in gear after transmission warms up but still feel resistance between gears
-While driving: Easier to get into any gear if I put it in 4th first.
The shop I went to was thinking it was the pilot bearing. The clutch was basically done so I had the clutch, pilot bearing, slave/throwout replaced, flywheel resurfaced and still no real difference. After having this done pedal felt a bit different: pedal felt like you had didn’t have the push it in as far and that the clutch grabbed sooner, but still shifting stiffness/difficult to get in gear.
I went back to the shop but they said that’s how rangers are. They said to come by and leave it for awhile so they can feel it when the car is cold because that is when shifting is worse. No idea how they didn’t feel the hard shifting. Maybe they are just denying it.
Possible causes:
I. Clutch master cylinder
a. Still air in master cylinder (the shop did not bench bleed or replace the master)
Question: Would air in master affect anything if slave cylinder is traveling correct (5/16) of an inch? I measured the slave travel through the inspection gap in the bell housing with the engine off.
II. Flywheel
a. Flywheel was resurfaced not replaced
Question: Would flywheel being resurfaced create travel issues (I know often flywheel are only cut about 1mm off)
III. Transmission problems?
a. Fork or bearing issues? I don’t think this is the cases as only has 113,000 miles and wasn’t used for towing or heavy loads, but could be.
IV. Other causes?
I have seen the following video. I measured the slave travel after having the clutch replaced (I did not measure prior). The slave looks to be traveling 5/16 of an inch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91IYY_YENRw
Questions In Order:
1. Would air in master affect anything if slave cylinder is traveling correct (5/16) of an inch
2. Can the slave travel more than 5/16 of an inch? To me it feels like the clutch is still partially engaged and the previous gear or input is still spinning when I try to shift to the next gear.
3. Would air in master affect anything if slave cylinder is traveling correct (5/16) of an inch?
4. Could there be other causes of this difficult shifting such as fork or bearing issues? I don’t think this is the cases as only has 113,000 miles and wasn’t used for towing or heavy loads, but could be.
5. Could the new clutch still be adjusting? I know it generally takes 500 city miles or so to break in a new clutch.
6. Should I try bench bleeding the master then gravity bleeding the slave.
Any suggestions and insight would really help me!
First of all I’ll try to keep this short and specific as possible. I know this is a common problem. I’ve read bunches of forums, and talked to a few people, but still haven’t found the answer. Hopefully some mechanics out there can help me.
Vehicle Specs: 1999 Ford Ranger 2.5l 4 cyd 5 Speed 113,000 miles (Used as a commuter not work truck)
Problem:
Having common shifting stiffness/difficulty getting in gear. I think shifting slowly got worse over a few weeks until I noticed it. Had this problem before and after getting transmission work done. Driving me a bit crazy.
Analysis:
-With the car off: Shifts much much easier with the car off then on. A tiny amount of resistance when shifting with car off but this seems normal to me.
-With car on: Hardest to get in gear in 1st, 2nd, and reverse, 3rd and 5th next hardest, 4th is okay (I assuming because 1:1 ratio)
-While driving: Difficulty level to get in gear highest to lowest (2nd, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 4th, )
-While driving: Gets easier to shift in gear after transmission warms up but still feel resistance between gears
-While driving: Easier to get into any gear if I put it in 4th first.
The shop I went to was thinking it was the pilot bearing. The clutch was basically done so I had the clutch, pilot bearing, slave/throwout replaced, flywheel resurfaced and still no real difference. After having this done pedal felt a bit different: pedal felt like you had didn’t have the push it in as far and that the clutch grabbed sooner, but still shifting stiffness/difficult to get in gear.
I went back to the shop but they said that’s how rangers are. They said to come by and leave it for awhile so they can feel it when the car is cold because that is when shifting is worse. No idea how they didn’t feel the hard shifting. Maybe they are just denying it.
Possible causes:
I. Clutch master cylinder
a. Still air in master cylinder (the shop did not bench bleed or replace the master)
Question: Would air in master affect anything if slave cylinder is traveling correct (5/16) of an inch? I measured the slave travel through the inspection gap in the bell housing with the engine off.
II. Flywheel
a. Flywheel was resurfaced not replaced
Question: Would flywheel being resurfaced create travel issues (I know often flywheel are only cut about 1mm off)
III. Transmission problems?
a. Fork or bearing issues? I don’t think this is the cases as only has 113,000 miles and wasn’t used for towing or heavy loads, but could be.
IV. Other causes?
I have seen the following video. I measured the slave travel after having the clutch replaced (I did not measure prior). The slave looks to be traveling 5/16 of an inch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91IYY_YENRw
Questions In Order:
1. Would air in master affect anything if slave cylinder is traveling correct (5/16) of an inch
2. Can the slave travel more than 5/16 of an inch? To me it feels like the clutch is still partially engaged and the previous gear or input is still spinning when I try to shift to the next gear.
3. Would air in master affect anything if slave cylinder is traveling correct (5/16) of an inch?
4. Could there be other causes of this difficult shifting such as fork or bearing issues? I don’t think this is the cases as only has 113,000 miles and wasn’t used for towing or heavy loads, but could be.
5. Could the new clutch still be adjusting? I know it generally takes 500 city miles or so to break in a new clutch.
6. Should I try bench bleeding the master then gravity bleeding the slave.
Any suggestions and insight would really help me!