Flounder
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2020
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Hilo, Hawaii
- Vehicle Year
- 96
- Make / Model
- Ranger xlt
- Engine Type
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 2WD
My 96 2.3 Ranger has 99k miles on it. I only use it 2 or 3 x a month lately. Yesterday I ran some errands and while backing out of a parking spot the clutch suddenly started slipping. Never slipped before. I know that usually would mean worn clutch plate or oil contamination. What is weird is that the pedal suddenly felt soft simultaneously. I limped it home and when I got to my driveway (which is a slight hill) I decided to back in for ease of working on it later, Before putting it in reverse I gave the clutch pedal a few pumps, on the third pump it momentarily got really firm and felt like a brake pedal. Next pump felt normal. This morning I pulled the rubber inspection plug on the bell housing and no signs of oil or brake fluid leaks. I also put it in second gear with brake on and gave it gas while letting up the clutch, it grabbed pretty well but it did not stall so there is some slipping. The fluid is up, The clutch is original and the truck has had light duty all it's life. Everything tells me clutch replacement but with the strange hydraulic symptoms I thought I might be missing something. Is there a check valve somewhere that could cause pressure on the slave to partially disengage the clutch while not pressing on the pedal? Thanks for any insights.