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Clutch ruined because of shift fork?


ati190

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
280
Age
40
City
Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
1992
Transmission
Manual
Hello all

Recently I purchased a 95 ford ranger 3.0L 2wd M50D 5 speed manual trans, and it is hard to get into gears, as well as get out of gears. So I took the truck to a local shop (transmissions are beyond my scope atm), and they informed me the clutch was bad, and that a bad shift fork had caused the clutch failure, is this possible?

thanks
ati190
 
Shift fork? Did it somehow get out of the tranny and into the bellhousing? lol

Did they mean a clutch fork? If they did, get a new mechanic. You are probably having a hard time shifting because of a weak slave cylinder. (clutch is hydraulic, so no clutch forks here) It's not disengaging the clutch all the way.

If your clutch had failed, you wouldn't be able to drive the truck.
 
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sorry let me rephrase this. I misunderstood him. I have a bad clutch which caused me to ruin a shift fork by forcing it into gear. As I've said I'm a total noob when it comes to transmissions. I really didnt force it in gear hard, just trying to shift from first into second, and I did apply a little pressure while doing so..
 
You can have a throwout lever with a hydraulic clutch (e.g., 1983-84 TK transmissions). But this one doesn't have one.

And calling it a shift fork is definitely a sign of cluelessness. You have three shift forks in the transmission, and they don't affect the clutch. I agree you need a new mechanic.

It IS called for to replace the clutch with the slave cylinder, even if it is good. This is one of those jobs where the part is far cheaper than the labor to get at it.

Edit: if you ruined a shift fork, you need a transmission or a transmission rebuild. You might want to consider buying another used truck, as this is going to be very pricey.

Note that you can replace a shift fork without completely disassembling the transmission, but you cannot replace the synchronizer ring that it probably killed as well.
 
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By bad clutch, do you mean slipping, won't engage, won't disengage, ect. I could see you bending your shifter fork if the clutch wasn't disengaging in which you would have to apply more pressure on the shifter in order to get the synchros to match due to the extra torque. I agree with BlackBII that you probably have a weak slave cylinder. Start there first.
 
ok, i made one last call, they are making sure that I didnt bend a shift fork, or do any other damage, before replace the clutch/slave/pilot bearing.. I have hearing issues.. the clutch wouldnt engage/disengage to answer gotta_gofast hard to get in and out of gear while running.
 
MAKG, while I'm clueless with transmissions, If infact I did bend a shift fork, why buy another truck when a junkyard tranny cost maybe 100$? I was told the clutch is shot, I purchased the truck just a few weeks ago, excellent body, no rust, etc. runs excellent other than this problem.
 
Not saying this is your problem, but a friend of mine with a ranger had bought a truck in which the clutch would not disengage. Bleeding the line would not help. It ended up being as simple as an O-ring not installed when last owner replaced the clutch, slave cylinder, ect. And that caused it to pull in air everytime the pedal was released. Have you checked for air in your system? Like I said, it is a slim chance, but check the easy/free stuff first! lol. Its better than kickin yourself in the ass later.
 
I would expect a junkyard tranny to cost around $100, with a $25 dollar core.

Are you having the mechanic do the clutch and slave??

If your gonna do the tranny your self, you should do those as well. $90 for a slave and ~$120 for a clutch.

Be real easy on a 2wd
 
I'm letting the mechanic complete the work, I would attempt to tackle this problem except the fact whether doesn't permit that, and I'm currently lacking some tools to swap the clutch/slave/bearing out. I'm not even sure if there is a bad shift fork, the mechanic is just checking to make sure before he puts the trans back in. In the event I ruined a fork, I just suggested a junk yard tranny swap. I was only responding to MAKG when he said I should look for another used truck. That's all. I got this truck pretty cheap, 1000 dollars. it's also an extended cab. The body is excellent, no rust, or dents.
The entire front end was replaced suspension wise. So for me the clutch problem is just minor a thing.

Edit: if you ruined a shift fork, you need a transmission or a transmission rebuild. You might want to consider buying another used truck, as this is going to be very pricey.
 
I haven't seen a $100 transmission in a few years, though it's possible to get one self service for not too much more than that. This means YOU pull it. If you get it from a full service yard, $300-$500 is a much more reasonable guess.

Plus you add in $500-$700 additional for the transmission R/R AND the clutch, and you're already at the cost of another truck.

Then you get a few hundred back for scrapping the truck you have (or you can sell it for a bit more as a parts truck).

AND there is the risk that this "new" transmission has a problem. It happens with junkyard transmissions. So, you might have a guarantee on it, but then you have to pay the labor again.

This would be worth repairing if you did the work yourself. But that's not where you're going.
 
Sorry, all my time spent at wrecking yards are infact at you-pull-its. (Just picked up my M5OD for $75 with a $25 core)

Hardly any in my area are NOT you-pull-its

Never purchased anything that was already pulled. Sorry for the confusion, oh and here is a gift :thefinger:
 
well considering the trucks condition, and the fact I like the truck a lot, I really choose not to get rid of it. I could see if there was a list of other problems with it, I would sell it as a parts truck. However, everything is pretty much new already, and the body is in excellent condition, not to many vehicles up here in the rust belt contain no rust. it's hard pressed to find a 5 year old vehicle with no rust here, never mind a 10+ year old vehicle.
 
My 98 Windstar was spotless and that came from New Jersey. My 94 Ranger has no rust at all on the body and I paid $500 for it with a bad trans. My 98 Subaru wagon doesn't have one spot of rust on it and I picked that up for scrap price from a guy who was about to haul it off to the junkyard. There are plenty of vehicles in Pennsylvania with no rust on them, you just have to look for them.
 
well, vehicles that have no previous body work due to rust/damage.. this truck was a complete survivor. original body, original paint, excellent condition. anyway, i'd rather repair it than replace it. The frame also has no rust. the interior is clean, and the truck had an excellent maintainence history and verified.
 

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