1996 Ranger Difficult Shifting

[Shotrod69]

I’ve got a 1996 2.3 with the 5 speed.
It’s having some difficulty shifting.
I am trying to find out if it is a shifter bushing or clutch related problem. I would like to know some other diag things I can do that’s minimally invasive if that make sense.
Symptoms:
Shifting is very notchy, I’ve read that these are notchy trans but my 93 wasn’t this bad.
It just started grinding when trying to go into reverse, it is difficult to replicate. It just does it sometimes.
When trans grinds reverse it won’t go into any other gear. I have to shut the truck off, put it in gear then start it. After that it shifts fine.
Related to above symptom; Even if I don’t start it in gear the problem go away.
I also just noticed that there’s a faint squeal when pushing it into another gear. It sounds like someone else’s car up the road has a squeaky serpentine belt.

Maintenance done on trans:
Changed fluid hoping that’d fix the shifting issue. No change.

 

[4x4junkie]

This sounds like it could be a clutch issue or fluid issue... (at least all except the part about it squealing... that part sounds like possibly the TO bearing going out)
Bad shifter bushings generally present as an excessively-floppy stick handle.

The way I've been able to distinguish a clutch issue from a fluid issue is as follows:
With the engine running, push the clutch in while holding light pressure on the stick as if you're trying to shift it into 1st gear...

If the shifter drops easily into gear after about 5-7 seconds of lightly putting pressure on it, it's a fluid issue (someone possibly put Mercon V or an incompatible fluid in it at some point).
If the shifter continues to be stubborn and won't go into gear easily at all, it's a clutch issue.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The not being able to shift until the engine is off sounds like air in the master cylinder to me but I agree with junkie above me...

 

[Shotrod69]

This sounds like it could be a clutch issue or fluid issue... (at least all except the part about it squealing... that part sounds like possibly the TO bearing going out)
Bad shifter bushings generally present as an excessively-floppy stick handle.

The way I've been able to distinguish a clutch issue from a fluid issue is as follows:
With the engine running, push the clutch in while holding light pressure on the stick as if you're trying to shift it into 1st gear...

If the shifter drops easily into gear after about 5-7 seconds of lightly putting pressure on it, it's a fluid issue (someone possibly put Mercon V or an incompatible fluid in it at some point).
If the shifter continues to be stubborn and won't go into gear easily at all, it's a clutch issue.

The squealing is inconsistent and only happens if pressure is put on the shifter.
When you say fluid do you mean trans fluid or clutch fluid? The trans fluid was drained and replaced with ATF.
The truck also has at least 254k on it, the odometer stopped working.

 

[4x4junkie]

The squealing is inconsistent and only happens if pressure is put on the shifter.
When you say fluid do you mean trans fluid or clutch fluid? The trans fluid was drained and replaced with ATF.
The truck also has at least 254k on it, the odometer stopped working.

Transmission fluid.

These transmissions require what is now sold as "Dex/Merc" ATF fluid. This is because Ford does not license the name Mercon for the fluid anymore (what the M5OD trans originally called for).

Ford has ever since said Mercon V fluid is a compatible replacement, but that just has not proven to be the case with the manuals (not reliably anyway). It causes hard notchy shifts, and can make it damn near impossible to get the trans into gear after a red light before others behind you start honking.

However with 254K miles, I would say the potential for there being other issues with it is pretty high...
Given that dealing with either one of these issues (clutch or fluid) is pretty involved, I'd give some consideration to just pulling it out and having it rebuilt.

 

[Shotrod69]

Transmission fluid.

These transmissions require what is now sold as "Dex/Merc" ATF fluid. This is because Ford does not license the name Mercon for the fluid anymore (what the M5OD trans originally called for).

Ford has ever since said Mercon V fluid is a compatible replacement, but that just has not proven to be the case with the manuals (not reliably anyway). It causes hard notchy shifts, and can make it damn near impossible to get the trans into gear after a red light before others behind you start honking.

However with 254K miles, I would say the potential for there being other issues with it is pretty high...
Given that dealing with either one of these issues (clutch or fluid) is pretty involved, I'd give some consideration to just pulling it out and having it rebuilt.

I put regular ATF in it. I don’t doubt the trans could use a rebuild. However, this is a cheap truck. I’m trying to do diag at the moment so I can at least be aware of any problems and limp the truck along until spring. Then fix it when it’s warm.

 

[RobWigglezz]

The squeal is probably metal on metal contact somewhere. I had a very sticky 1 - 2 shift that sometimes required a double clutch. Transmission fluid looked and smelled like it's 130k miles old. I drained it and flushed a gallon of cheap orielys fluid though it and it shifts like a dream now

 

[pjtoledo]

a bad pilot bearing can cause the input shaft to keep turning even when you have the clutch depressed.
with the engine off, can you go thru the gears easily?

 

[4x4junkie]

I put regular ATF in it.

Well there are a multitude of different ATF types out there nowadays... You can't just put any ol' ATF that happens to be the closest bottle to you on the shelf, you have to use the correct one that your trans calls for (or in this case, used to be called for, which is the Dex/Merc fluid I mention) otherwise problems like this can happen (not saying it IS the problem, but it does complicate things when trying to make a diagnosis).