2004 Ranger Clutch Issues

[SanFelipe]

I have an 04' Ranger, 4.0, 5 Speed, 2wd Edge. Has about 50,000 miles on it.
Drove it from CA-CO these past few days, and now I have an issue with the clutch. Usually there is about an inch of play in the pedal, now I have about 3-4 inches. Something isn't right. I have also noticed a slight squeal sometimes when the clutch pedal is brought out in gear, and the the truck starts rolling.

Any ideas? Anyone else have this problem in the past?
Thanks!

 

[Hotrodlincoln]

Kinda sounds like it could be the clutch master cylinder going bad. Bleeding it like I mentioned in that other thread might cure it long enough to get you back to CA if you need to. But swapping a master isn't that hard to do.
Check for evidence of fluid leaking both at the master and at the bottom of the bellhousing of the transmission. Usually fluid leaks at the master are inside the truck. The fluid will leak down the inside of the firewall and sometimes down the pushrod from the master onto the brake pedal and down onto the floor under your foot. It can also leak where the hose from the reservoir connects to the master.
If the bellhousing is wet with fluid then it's probably the slave cylinder, which means you'd have to drop the transmission to replace it.

If you can't find any leaks leaks there might still be an internal problem with either the master or slave cylinder. But try bleeding it first and see if that helps it.
Worst case is the clutch has worn out and you now have to press further to move the TOB out far enough to contact the pressure plate. Seems kind of strange for that to happen in such a short time, but I've heard stories...

 

[pcollins]

sounds like slave and T/O bearing issue. i think the T/O was an issue on your year. someone who knows for sure can say. i've never seen a clutch master go bad unless someone jams on it while the line is off.

 

[gw33gp]

The clutch master does go out in these trucks. Mine went out under warranty without being abused and the dealer had to replace the new one because it didn't work right. The dealer told me the clutch master was a common failure in Rangers.

The noise is probably the TO bearing. Mine went bad at around 100,000 miles and the bearing itself was fine. The center of the TO bearing that slips onto the slave had worn and was not a snug fit anymore. When the clutch was starting to engage it would chatter and cause a strange sound.

I ended up doing a complete clutch job and used silicone in the TO bearing mounting area that was chattering to try to keep the wear down and get a longer life. The clutch itself looked like it had another 100,000 miles to go before needing to be replaced.

 

[pcollins]

The clutch master does go out in these trucks. Mine went out under warranty without being abused and the dealer had to replace the new one because it didn't work right. The dealer told me the clutch master was a common failure in Rangers.

The noise is probably the TO bearing. Mine went bad at around 100,000 miles and the bearing itself was fine. The center of the TO bearing that slips onto the slave had worn and was not a snug fit anymore. When the clutch was starting to engage it would chatter and cause a strange sound.

I ended up doing a complete clutch job and used silicone in the TO bearing mounting area that was chattering to try to keep the wear down and get a longer life. The clutch itself looked like it had another 100,000 miles to go before needing to be replaced.

maybe in 4th gen rangers, but in third gen the slave was the huge issue. stupid internal

 

[SanFelipe]

Thanks for all of your replies.....Turns out it was the slave, leaky as a sieve.
Replaced it and the whole clutch assembly, figured since the trans was down, might as well do some work on it, hopefully won't have to pull it down for another 100,000 miles....but by then I think it will be time to turn it into a pre-runner!