Clutch problems - pedal has resistance but no fluid in reservoir and not shifting when truck is on

[gluesn1ffer]

My 2001 2.3 ford ranger with 194000 miles randomly would not shift into gears. beforehand at low speeds at after a cold start I would hear a slight sound almost like little pebbles tumbling around in a dryer, and it was only noticeable with no fans/radio on and would go away and come back. I first noticed this about 2-3 days before failure. I checked the reservoir and there was no fluid in despite feeling a normal clutch pedal. It shifts fine when the truck is off and attempting to start in gear with the clutch fully engaged results in it acting like the clutch isnt engaged at all. Im going to refill the reservoir and see if i can spot a leak or see if it will fill the 8-10 oz of fluid its supposed to take. ill will update if i find anything unusual.

 

[gluesn1ffer]

there are also 3 clicks at around 1/2 way though the travel

 

[scotts90ranger]

There shouldn't be any clicking... it's either a master cylinder or slave cylinder issue, I would look for a leak first but if the reservoir was empty you might need to do a bench bleed on the master or go through one of the various ways of bleeding the system, none are fun...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Make sure you pull the reservoir air seal before filling. Vacuum will suck it tight enough you would think it was part of the master. Dont ask how I know...