Clutch Cable slack??

[mateusz007]

Hey i have a 1993 ford ranger 4 cyl 5 speed. whenever i push down on the clutch there is like 3 inches before i can feel the clutch engaging. it almost feels like the line or something is streched? any help would be appriciated. what im tring to explain is there is three inches of play it just feels loose. its hard to explan, um...just say i start the truck in newtral and i want to put the truck into 1st gear when i push the clutch there is 3 inches before it acually feels like the clutch is trying to engage so i will go into first. the clutch pedal its slef dances around when going down the road in gear

 

[Beanmachine7000]

Your line can't stretch... It's hydrualic... When you push down the clutch shouldn't engage anyway... You mean when you let off the clutch it doesn't engage for 3 inches or so? That sounds about right to me... It should engage and disengage at the top of the pedal stroke...

 

[Mark_88]

Your line can't stretch... It's hydrualic... When you push down the clutch shouldn't engage anyway... You mean when you let off the clutch it doesn't engage for 3 inches or so? That sounds about right to me... It should engage and disengage at the top of the pedal stroke...

+1

Is this a new truck or have you been driving it for a while?

If you're just noticing a difference after driving for a while, then check the reservoir for the master and top it up to the line on the cup as indicated on the cap (the little white bottle in the top right corner of your engine bay beside the brake booster) with DOT 3 Brake fluid (Canada) or whatever standard you use...

 

[rangerpimpn84]

shoot mine engages bout 2/3 of the way up. i ithink i have to go get it adjusted soon. i think but dk

 

[fastpakr]

shoot mine engages bout 2/3 of the way up. i ithink i have to go get it adjusted soon. i think but dk

There is no adjustment.

 

[rangerpimpn84]

so i take it i am bout half way thru my clutch then huh

 

[Mark_88]

My 89 Tempo was standard...and I drove it for 14 years before the clutch finally went on it...they can last a long, long time if you don't abuse them...even my first Ranger had over 300,000 on it before I had to change the clutch...and I wasn't the first owner...

 

[Beanmachine7000]

You should be able to engage and disengage the clutch by only pressing the pedal a couple inches... You won't tell a difference if your clutch is wearing away, because the hydraulic system is self adjusting... You WILL tell a difference when you go to take off and it builds RPM and doesn't move... The clutch in my first Ranger had 250K on it, and it was original, with me learning how, and driving it for several years... It has about 25K more on it, and I know it's still going strong... If you know how to drive a manual, you shouldn't really have to replace a clutch due to wear (unless your car makes it above 250K miles)...

 

[shadetree]

+1 (the little white bottle in the top right corner of your engine bay beside the brake booster)

That would be the left side of the engine bay.shady

 

[bigalpha]

You should be able to engage and disengage the clutch by only pressing the pedal a couple inches... You won't tell a difference if your clutch is wearing away, because the hydraulic system is self adjusting...

I assume my clutch is bad since I can push the pedal all the way to the floor and I still can't shift gears. But, if it's self-adjusting then how can this happen?

 

[fastpakr]

You've got a failure in the hydraulic system somewhere. Are you losing fluid? If not, I'd suspect the master to have failed internally. If you're leaking along the line, replace that. If there is brake fluid coming out of the bellhousing, the slave cylinder failed.

 

[bigalpha]

Surprisingly, there are no leaks that I can find (which is completely contrary to my Jeep, lol). I looked inside the bellhousing as much as I could and did not see any leaks.

When I got it, I could push down the pedal most of the way to the floor before it would engage/disengage. I also had problems shifting into gear.

I let her sit for a few days while I drove my jeep around and now it won't eng/diseng when the pedal is all the way to the floor.

I just assumed I had a worn clutch since I was having problems shifting into gear. Maybe I have a bad clutch AND a bad MC.

 

[fastpakr]

I don't see anything in your description that sounds like a failed clutch at all. Just a dead master cylinder.

 

[Bryan22]

did you ever let the master go dry? could just be air trapped in the system.

 

[bigalpha]

I personally have never let the MC go dry. however, it could have been drained before I got it. Is there a way to check the MC or will I just have to replace it?