Clutch issue.....again

[Fryedbm]

Ok so as you guys know I replaced my clutch. I know NOTHING. A guy,maybe RonD or Uncle Gump had me buy a Luk self adjusting. Now I have seen some say they are junk(the self adjusting part)
Anyhow my clutch pedal is slowly getting back to where it disengages at the top,like it acted before I replaced it. Thoughts? I heard I might need to "reset" it? I decided to bring this issue before the experts.....

 

[gw33gp]

I have installed several self adjusting clutches with no problems. The last one I installed did have issues. I don't know if it was the clutch or the slave cylinder. When I first bled the slave cylinder, I got white grease like material coming out with the brake fluid. The clutch worked fine initially but slowly stared engaging near the floor and had to be pushed all the way to the floor to put in gear and shift. I bled it several times and I would get a little air at first and sometime a little of that white greasy stuff. Each time the clutch would disengage at a normal position then slowly over time start to disengage and engage near the floor again.

I recently went on a four week off road trip and bled it again before leaving. As I drove to the meeting point with the rest of the group I noticed it was disengaging near the floor again. I had planned to bleed it again while on the trip but didn't have time to do it or forgot about it. When the trip was over and started heading home I realized the clutch was disengaging and engaging in a normal position. Somehow it corrected itself. I don't know if the self adjusting clutch corrected itself of the slave somehow bled itself. I do know I am happy with it now and hope it continues to work properly.

The LUK self adjusting clutch is what Rangers come with from the factory. That is the best replacement in my opinion and not junk at all. If your clutch disengages and engages near the top, I would not be concerned as long as the clutch is not slipping (fully engaging). I would not go in a reset it unless the clutch is not fully engaging (showing signs of slipping).

 

[bobbywalter]

The bubbles had time.



I don't think the way you think this works is how it works .... But. ..there can be a condition present that will let air in ....in just the right circumstances.

 

[gw33gp]

Bobby, was that a reply to my post? If so, I am an Aerospace Engineer and do have a pretty good idea of how things work. However, that doesn't mean I know everything about how things work. Yes, I believe there could be a way to let air in the system without having low fluid in the reservoir, but I find it hard to figure out how air in the system can leave on its own without some kind of leak.

 

[Fryedbm]

The bubbles had time.



I don't think the way you think this works is how it works .... But. ..there can be a condition present that will let air in ....in just the right circumstances.

Bobby, was that a reply to my post? If so, I am an Aerospace Engineer and do have a pretty good idea of how things work. However, that doesn't mean I know everything about how things work. Yes, I believe there could be a way to let air in the system without having low fluid in the reservoir, but I find it hard to figure out how air in the system can leave on its own without some kind of leak.

I was wondering if that was for you for me as well. Lol

 

[Curious Hound]

The air bubbles will sometimes work their way up to the reservoir.

 

[gw33gp]

The bubbles can work their way up to the master cylinder but they get trapped there. The only way they can get to the reservoir is the turn the master cylinder upside down.

 

[bobbywalter]

I have installed several self adjusting clutches with no problems. The last one I installed did have issues. I don't know if it was the clutch or the slave cylinder. When I first bled the slave cylinder, I got white grease like material coming out with the brake fluid. The clutch worked fine initially but slowly stared engaging near the floor and had to be pushed all the way to the floor to put in gear and shift. I bled it several times and I would get a little air at first and sometime a little of that white greasy stuff. Each time the clutch would disengage at a normal position then slowly over time start to disengage and engage near the floor again.

I recently went on a four week off road trip and bled it again before leaving. As I drove to the meeting point with the rest of the group I noticed it was disengaging near the floor again. I had planned to bleed it again while on the trip but didn't have time to do it or forgot about it. When the trip was over and started heading home I realized the clutch was disengaging and engaging in a normal position. Somehow it corrected itself. I don't know if the self adjusting clutch corrected itself of the slave somehow bled itself. I do know I am happy with it now and hope it continues to work properly.

The LUK self adjusting clutch is what Rangers come with from the factory. That is the best replacement in my opinion and not junk at all. If your clutch disengages and engages near the top, I would not be concerned as long as the clutch is not slipping (fully engaging). I would not go in a reset it unless the clutch is not fully engaging (showing signs of slipping).

Not meant as an insult....but simply reads odd to me.

Define self adjusting.


Define reset....

how you do that for the self adjusting.?.?



You went riding.....and may have been in adverse terrain or sufficient grades to move trapped air on the way to the areas travelled....which may have been at a high enough altitude itself to help with pressure for all I know..


This is a way to move air bubbles.....sometimes enough air to remove bearings right off of the crank.

This is how you can move a bubble out of a clutch master to the reservoir.

Or introduce it if it is low.

 

[gw33gp]

Not meant as an insult....but simply reads odd to me.

Define self adjusting.


Define reset....

how you do that for the self adjusting.?.?



You went riding.....and may have been in adverse terrain or sufficient grades to move trapped air on the way to the areas travelled....which may have been at a high enough altitude itself to help with pressure for all I know..

I was not insulted. I was just giving you some background.

Self adjusting is a mechanism in the clutch cover that is supposed to keep the clutch pedal engagement point the same as the clutch disc wears. I can't explain how it works but you can see the tabs on the clutch cover that can be reset if a new disc is installed. I don't remember the complete details of resetting, but it requires compression of specific parts of clutch cover and rotating those tabs all the way to one direction. I don't remember if it is clockwise or counter clockwise. I think the instructions are in the Ford shop manual somewhere.

Yes, I was in some pretty rough terrain but not nearly as extreme as your photos. However, it may have contributed to getting air out of the clutch hydraulics anyway. I was also as high as 13,000 ft and that could have contributed, but I think it should have made the problem worse at altitude before it got better. I honestly did not notice any change while at high altitude.

I hope this it not to far off track for the OP. I was not trying to make this thread about me. I just wanted to explain what I experienced, kind of similar to the OP's experience.

 

[RayCT]

Anyone have the details of resetting a self-adjusting clutch cover (pressure plate in my lingo, but "the times, they are a changin'). It's an OEM unit in a 1996 Ranger? Obviously, it's out of the truck. Interestingly, stamped into the cover itself is something to the effect of "Before installation see truck shop manual clutch sect 08." I did a bit of web-crawling and forum research and can't seem to find anything specific. Thanks for the help.

 

[Curious Hound]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. But that probably refers to mechanical clutches. Ours are hydraulic and seem to take care of themselves.

 

[RayCT]

Yes, this is a stock hydraulically actuated Ranger clutch. It's the stock Ford self-adjusting pressure plate that is designed to ensure uniform actuation force over the life of the cover. I've replaced lots of clutches over the years, but have never been into one of these. Any ideas about where to source the referenced Ford procedure?

 

[bobbywalter]

Yes, this is a stock hydraulically actuated Ranger clutch. It's the stock Ford self-adjusting pressure plate that is designed to ensure uniform actuation force over the life of the cover. I've replaced lots of clutches over the years, but have never been into one of these. Any ideas about where to source the referenced Ford procedure?

that was what i was getting at years ago. those pictures were actually what i was doing that week..


the pressure plate is always self adjusting. never stops. a hydraulic slave just keeps up with fluid.. you can pull it apart and just replace the disc and it will be just fine.....your clutch reservoir may be overflowing....but there is no other issue other then if you never opened the system it can fight ya stabbing the trans if the piston is out...i always seat it to avoid that.

if there is a malfunction or as often caused a rock gets in the works somehow.. it...the piston in the slave tube can bind/roll a bit from cock in the the bore and introduce air that way...or at any connection point along the way. with oem components cycling the clutch master can allow for air to move up to the reservoir....not all of the air...just excessive air that is pissing you off....but indeed...air can burp in at the slave piston....which is just a fat bastard o ring....and go all the way to the master.

as discussed here....even a prebled system...if there is grease in it can most certainly have some air in it. and will be an irritating bastard....go through it with our 350 z often.

a truly mechanical system otoh...

a mechanical linkage in some cases may get enough slop to come loose or kick a link as the clutch wears....especially a heavy clutch....

that shit dont apply to ford rangers with oem clutches post 88.. there are other slave systems before that that dont necessarily keep up enough as they have a fork...


long way to say what eric said. self adjusting is just liquid doing the same thing it does on your brake system....


which means the only way to adjust it is to remove air. if there is air in it...where it is and how it builds are generally related to time.

 

[RayCT]

Thanks to all for the added info. I've had the clutch link drop out of my 1970 Malibu SS (sold some years ago - wish I still had that one). By the time I owned it, the long coil spring that helps to ensure that doesn't happen was long gone, or maybe it was "dropping the hammer" too many times!! Thanks again. V/R, Ray