Goes in gear, but wont drive?

[Zach_just]

I am in a bit of a hurry with this one.

I have a 1986 ranger, 5spd and I was out last night bogging with a buddy. I came to a big water hole that was about 3 1/2' deep and plunged right in. I was able to rock back and forth and almost get un stuck when the tires stopped turning. It is in gear and the clutch works but nothing to the wheels.

We spent until 4:30 in the morning pulling it out and had to tow it to the first paved road. (as trucks left in the hill around here don’t last long).
I need to pick my truck up today but it is still a long way from being home and I don’t want to tow it.

Does anyone know why the truck would just stop engaging? Can water get into the tranny if submerged and if there was water in it would it cause this?

One more thing... Is the crankcase oil shared with the tranny?

 

[smokey]

Is the crankcase oil shared with the tranny? no
sounds like you smoked the clutch rocking it.

 

[Zach_just]

So you think I smoked it Smokey? That would be nice. The clutch does feel strange when I push it in now. It makes noises like crickets and squeaks. You can feel it in the pedal also as it crickets. I really hope it’s the clutch because I wanted to replace it soon.
So where does the tranny fluid go in, is it like the diffs? just a plug?

Thanks Smokey

 

[AllanD]

Sounds like you got the bellhousing and clutch full of mud


AD

 

[mhughes165]

Sounds like you got the bellhousing and clutch full of mud


AD

 

[Zach_just]

So if that’s the case how do I clean it out? Pressure washer? Will I have to take it apart?
Once I got the starter working again it was real crunchy and it make a lot of noise after it started.
So where would the mud get in and how can I prevent this from happening again?
If it dries out today in the sun do you think I could drive it home or should I tow it till I can clean it?
Thanks everyone for you help.

 

[Boggin]

That exact same thing happened to me in my maxda, I just left her in the garden and bought a ranger!

 

[AllanD]

Personally I'd recommend removing the starter and applying a firehose
to the resulting opening.

but a pressure washer or even a garden hose might do it.


AD

 

[Zach_just]

So you think it is due to having mud, sand and water in the bell housing? I’ll take off the starter and try washing it out, but... If start filling it with water is there somewhere for it to drain out? If there is then that would probably be where it came in, yah?

Zach

 

[feellnfroggy]

So you think it is due to having mud, sand and water in the bell housing? I’ll take off the starter and try washing it out, but... If start filling it with water is there somewhere for it to drain out? If there is then that would probably be where it came in, yah?

Zach

should be a vent where most of the water can get out, but if it dont work then I wouldnt worry bout damaging it...

 

[Zach_just]

Thanks for all your help, I’ll give it a try and see what happens. I have been without my Ranger for a couple weeks now and it is starting to get to me. My friend gave me her Mazda 323 that I have been driving but it sure doesn’t 4x4 like my Ranger

 

[Zach_just]

All Fixed!!! YAY!!!

I decided to try spraying water in the starter hole and to my surprise the truck goes into gear and drives. I don’t know why I didn’t do this a month ago, it was so easy.
The reason I did decide to do it is because last night I was driving my little Mazda 323 on this stretch of road called the Oyama Roller Coaster. I was just coming over the last crest giggling with excitement when out of know were a deer smashed into the side of my car, the head of the deer hit the windshield directly in front of me. I was going about 120km hour and witch I am kind of glad about because the deer died on impact. There’s nothing like having to take a ball penned hammer to a live animal to mess up a weekend.
The quarter panel, door and hood are totalled and I basically only have half of a windshield.
This is why I decided to give the water in the bell housing a try.

I trash one vehicle and go to another one,

Sad about killing an animal but I am real glad that every one is ok.

I want to send a big thanks to every one that helped me get my Ranger back on the road. I missed my baby.

Zach

 

[2ranger87]

Jeez......

What part of Oyama Road CAN you do 120 km's on?