- Joined
- Feb 28, 2001
- Messages
- 7,929
- Reaction score
- 4,227
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Dayton Oregon
- Vehicle Year
- 1990, 1997
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Type
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Engine Size
- 2.3 Turbo
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 4WD
- Total Lift
- 6
- Tire Size
- 35"
Just got home from a ~1800 mile road trip in the '97 Ranger, couple issues came up... One was today when I was going through Redding CA, went up a hill and downshifted to 4th and had no clutch engagement... coasted down the shoulder with the flashers on for a bit, worked the clutch pedal some, dumped it in neutral a couple times then just tried 4th again and had some clutch so kept going... I'm used to the symptoms of if the clutch doesn't disengage, but this not engaging thing is odd... Oh, no vibrations so I'm assuming the friction disc springs and pressure plate fingers are intact.
The pedal feel is off, first inch feels normal then there's not much resistance. After the first time it came up I played it safe and drove for the next 100 miles shifting without the clutch (much slower, but it shifts fine if the shaft speeds are matched, no tach so from pure experience...), had to get gas so I tried it again at stop signs and such, it worked again. The problem seems to come when everything is hot climbing hills, it works sometimes then nothing, I smelled clutch once when I tried again on a big hill. If you are patient whatever is holding pressure bleeds off to where it will hold again.
My gut feeling is something in the slave cylinder is sticking when it's out somehow, but I'm hoping that isn't the case...
Any experience or bright ideas before I gear up to change everything in time I don't have?
The pedal feel is off, first inch feels normal then there's not much resistance. After the first time it came up I played it safe and drove for the next 100 miles shifting without the clutch (much slower, but it shifts fine if the shaft speeds are matched, no tach so from pure experience...), had to get gas so I tried it again at stop signs and such, it worked again. The problem seems to come when everything is hot climbing hills, it works sometimes then nothing, I smelled clutch once when I tried again on a big hill. If you are patient whatever is holding pressure bleeds off to where it will hold again.
My gut feeling is something in the slave cylinder is sticking when it's out somehow, but I'm hoping that isn't the case...
Any experience or bright ideas before I gear up to change everything in time I don't have?