Man trans issue on 04’ FX4 4.0

[86_FX4]

Hello,

I was hoping for some insight on potential issues with my trans before dropping everything and spending cash where it’s not needed.

I recently left for a road trip. Checked all fluids, everything was good. I felt like my usual shifter flop to check I was in neutral before starting the truck felt alittle different but thought it was in my head. We left for the road. About an hour into the drive on the highway, I couldn’t shift at all. Fearing the worst I pumped the clutch pedal and tried to shift with no luck, couldn’t get into any gear. A slightly audible “thud” could be heard when pressing the shifter against the gates trying to get into any gear but it just wouldn’t slip in at all. I had to coast to the side of the road, I checked under the truck, under the hood, fluids, etc, saw nothing of concern. I could shift fine with truck off, but not running. I put it into gear, then started the truck and started to make my way home, but then it was shifting and driving fine. So I took the risk and kept on with the road trip.
The same issue happened once again at a gas station, where I just could not shift into any gear. My partner thought she could hear a minor rubbing coming from under the truck in that case. I again just shut off the truck, put it in gear and took off with minor issues after that. At one point it seemed lurch unexpectedly once when I had clutch in but it was so brief and short that I again wondered if it was in my head.

The entire 5hr drive home, everything worked fine.

Any suggestions? My clutch fluid seems clear and has not dropped in level at all. Pumping the clutch does not improve the issue. The clutch feels slightly soft and disengages pretty low, about an inch away from the floor is when it starts to grab, but it has always been this way. Hoping one of you Ranger gurus has some ideas. I’ve had clutch issues before with other vehicles but it failed in a predictable way and was obvious my issue was worn friction plates, and in another case a bad slave cylinder… with this one being so dramatic and the way it’s acting makes me scratch my head and wonder if its something else. Are these master/slave cylinders known to fail like that or should I be looking at something more mechanical/internal??

Just as a sanity check today I took it out and did a fast clutch drop in 1st gear with heavy gas and the trans grabbed strong enough to break the tires free. So I’m confused. Help!

 

[sgtsandman]

It sounds like the master cylinder is failing. One way to be sure is to pop the rubber inspection cover off on the transmission bell housing and take a look at the slave cylinder. It should be dry. If it isn't, then the slave cylinder is bad and needs to be changed. The transmission needs to be dropped to change that.

If the slave cylinder is dry, then you have the easier job of just swapping out the master cylinder. Get one that has already been bench bled.

One thing to consider. If the master is bad or the slave is bad, the other is likely not that far behind and getting both changed will save on some labor cost if you aren't doing the job yourself and I think buying the master and slave as a kit is cheaper than buying them separately, if I remember correctly.

 

[gw33gp]

It sounds like the pilot bearing is failing. When you said at one point it lurched forward with the clutch in, that is very symptomatic of a pilot bearing binding up. When a pilot bearing begins to fail, the needles in the bearing get loose and can get kind of crossed up. This causes them to clamp down on the end of the input shaft that rides inside it. Also, acting up intermittent like you explained tells me, take a look at the pilot bearing.

That still requires removing the transmission, but is less expensive than tearing into the transmission. You can also check out the slave cylinder, but your description does not sound like a bad slave cylinder.

I have experienced a failing pilot bearing in my Ranger and it was very similar to what you described. When I took the transmission out the needles just fell out of the bearing housing. It was not all that old either. I searched for a good quality pilot bearing and have had no problem with it since then.

While you have the transmission out, check the shifter bushings. They wear out too, and are easy to replace.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

If transmission feels OK when shifting trans with engine off, but hard to get into 1st with engine running when stopped its 99.9% a clutch issue

 

[86_FX4]

Awesome. Thanks guys. Gonna look into getting an OEM master/slave and probably plates too while I’ve got it all dropped.

 

[RonD]

A self adjusting pressure plate(SAC) is best option in my opinion

It keeps clutch pedal engage/disengage at the same place through the life of the clutch disc

Non-SAC starts off with pedal engage/disengage at the very bottom of pedal travel, then as clutch disc wears down(gets thinner) the engage/disengage moves up higher and higher in pedal travel, until it starts to slip

SAC moves the pressure plate closer and closer to fly wheel as clutch disc gets thinner so always the same engage/disengage in pedal travel

SAC pressure plate will have 3 smaller springs around the "fingers"
These springs need to be reset if you reuse the SAC pressure plate with a new clutch disc

 

[86_FX4]

New development

gw33gp, somehow I missed your post. Thanks for the input. I was thinking about it and once I got home I went over all the maintenance the first owner did just before selling it to me a few years ago.

In July of 2018, the clutch was replaced. The invoice shows a clutch kit including a slave cylinder and a flywheel resurfacing, but it does not mention a new master. I inspected through the rubber grommet and it looks good, dry, solid looking boot on the slave, etc, however there was some old dry mud residue I can only assume is from a deep silty water crossing I did awhile back. I looked at the master and while it does look good it is alittle concerning since the neutral safety switch seems overall greasy, not oily necessarily but like electrical plug type silicon greasy. Could be fluid, but doesnt look like it.

The truck only has 110k, but I've recently put a TON of long distance drives, snow, rain, water, 4x4, etc but not abused. I would think the clutch should be in good shape still? The master looks newer IMO, but I cant find a breakdown in the invoice mentioning a new master, and also the one in the truck has a vague stamping that appears to be a circle around "03". I was hoping maybe that means its an 2003 original master and thats my problem? Now i'm really hoping the pilot bearing isnt the issue since I know someone's recently been in there. Then again, the invoice is from a general lube shop so maybe thats why i'm having issues again just a few years later

 

[86_FX4]

Replaced the master cylinder today with a pre-bled and was sure to bleed through the slave with some fresh fluid. Clutch feels great. Slave looks great and functions well it seems. Pedal feel is the same, maybe slightly crisper, but Issue still exists... Truck will shift and run and clutch just fine, enough to drive around with no issues, until randomly, a slight scraping/minor rotating/grinding sound is heard with clutch depressed and I cannot shift into any gear. Pumping pedal does not help, when trying to shift I can feel the truck wants to lurch even with pedal all the way depressed but since I can't actually get it into gear it won't actually run away. The only way I am able to get it into gear once locked up is I can rev the motor up, then as it falls in RPM, with light pressure on the shifter the sound will go away and it will slip into gear. Or I can shut truck off, shift repeatedly into various gears, put it into 1st or reverse, press in clutch then start truck. The truck will ever so slightly lurch-more so "catch" slightly but will sort itself out and I can drive away.

I do not think it is clutch or hydraulic related as I have zero issues with clutch engagement, disengagement, drag, slip or whatever. I'm really starting to think its the pilot bearing???

-Anyone got input on bearings inside the M50D-R1HD?
-I have a complete clutch kit with slave, pilot, pressure and friction discs for a M50D-R1 ('99 ranger 4.0 2WD). Looks like it should work, dimensions all appear the same but I get different part numbers for the 99 4.0 OHV vs the 04 4.0 SOHC. Luk 07167 vs Luk 07139
-What should I replace? Pilot? Maybe slave (done in 2018) just to be safe?
-Im confused on the throwout bearing.... for us its integrated into the slave, right? New slave comes with new throwout too?
-Anything else I should check before dropping it and/or once it's dropped?

Truck has roughly 110k on it, well used but not abused.

 

[RonD]

Bearings were never a "known" issue in the M5R1s

Input shaft gear gear did strip, but mostly on the 4cyl not V6 so most likely and an alignment issue
So possible with any engine if engine and trans are not aligned

M5R1s are engine specific, and 2WD or 4x4 are also different

The 4.0l OHV and SOHC used the same block so transmission from either will bolt to the other

The "HD" designation was added for the 4.0l SOHC M5R1 because there was an added bolt hole in the block and bell housing
Also the shifter interface was different, so "HD" shifter won't fit on non-HD transmission, not a big deal just get the used transmission complete with shifter

 

[pjtoledo]

symptoms sound exactly like my failed pilot bearing did.

 

[86_FX4]

Update:
4.0, 2004 FX4 manual 4x4 4wd
Received my motorcraft clutch kit with pilot bearing and over the past few days I've been prepping to drop trans. For anyone else with the same scenario and just for learning I'm listing my steps so far. This includes a significant amount of research on my end of how to do this the right way.

-Put truck in neutral, firm parking brake set and blocked wheels on flat ground. I have a small ~2 or 2.5" lift via stiffer than stock and cranked Tbars and explorer rear leafs, with slightly larger tires than stock so i'm trying to do this with wheels on ground. I dont know about stock setups but mine seems (hard work, but) spacious.
-Removed + cable from battery
-Removed shifter assembly from inside cab. T30 torx bit needed. Was able to use a T30 screwdriver. Make sure it's in neutral before you fully pull the assembly out of the trans.
-Removed starter. This was way harder than it needed to be, the top bolt is tough to get at. Used a swivel and a short extension on my 1/2" drive ratchet to break it loose then used a 1/4" drive mini ratchet to remove. Couldn't find a way to actually pull it out of the area so it's just sitting up there but fully unbolted, disconnected electrically and separated from the flywheel.. ridiculous.
-Removed both driveshafts. T30 bit and prybar or fat screwdriver needed. Torque is not high so they break loose easy but use your other hand to lock the shaft with the prybar or screwdriver jammed into the knuckle.
-Note. Your truck is now only supported by whatever you blocked behind the wheels, and your parking brake. Make sure those are secure before you remove the shafts. You should be in neutral anyways.
-Unbolted/removed transfer case skidplate
-Unbolted everything at transfer case mount. Put jack under transfer case to slightly raise off crossmember, removed crossmember, and set down onto a jackstand as close as possible to it's natural resting height.
Note: I was confused here as it appeared that the T-bars might use the crossmember under the transfercase as a structural member. It doesn't, but can appear that way. The crossmember sits in "ears" of the Tbar mounts, so it can take alittle prying to work it out of the ears but you'll see it doesn't relate to the tbar or any of the scary tension it has there. Even on loosening everything and supporting the transmission fully with a jack the crossmember took some pry work to pop out. There was one connector that was anchored here, make sure it's clear of any wires or connectors before dropping.
-Transmission is now only supported by bell housing bolts and jackstand. Be aware as any twisting or removing support will twist and maybe damage the motor mounts. Make sure you're solidly supporting the transmission now as close to where it normally lies. I used one jackstand near nub at the drain plug.
-Removed all electrical wires and sensor wires, plus the breather hose for transfer case. Everything has a quick disconnect plug, but they can be stubborn and brittle. Take your time, try to break none or as few as possible and good luck for the upper oxygen sensor as it's clipped in directly above the transmission and is by feel only. study the other clips to understand how exactly it needs to separate and hope for the best.
-Removed exhaust Y. This was tough as well but got lucky, probably because someone's been in the transmission just a few years ago. I first tried to break them all loose with my 1/2" ratchet, no luck. Spray WD40 and hit them with impact, no luck. Switched to breaker bar and cracked them loose, was concerned I snapped something but they all actually just broke loose. Used impact to remove after that and pulled out the Y. Supported rear exhaust section with tightly suspended bungie. Pulled Y out and around the jack stand.
-Use Screwdrivers or tool to remove master clutch line from the slave. You can google this all day long.
-Duct tape away all cables/wires/etc and visually check and feel that everything is disconnected/separated and clear of the trans.
-Drain trans fluid. Now ready to unbolt the bell and support the ~200+lb trans and transfer case down.
Standby over the next few days for update.

 

[86_FX4]

Replaced the master cylinder today with a pre-bled and was sure to bleed through the slave with some fresh fluid. Clutch feels great. Slave looks great and functions well it seems. Pedal feel is the same, maybe slightly crisper, but Issue still exists... Truck will shift and run and clutch just fine, enough to drive around with no issues, until randomly, a slight scraping/minor rotating/grinding sound is heard with clutch depressed and I cannot shift into any gear. Pumping pedal does not help, when trying to shift I can feel the truck wants to lurch even with pedal all the way depressed but since I can't actually get it into gear it won't actually run away. The only way I am able to get it into gear once locked up is I can rev the motor up, then as it falls in RPM, with light pressure on the shifter the sound will go away and it will slip into gear. Or I can shut truck off, shift repeatedly into various gears, put it into 1st or reverse, press in clutch then start truck. The truck will ever so slightly lurch-more so "catch" slightly but will sort itself out and I can drive away.

I do not think it is clutch or hydraulic related as I have zero issues with clutch engagement, disengagement, drag, slip or whatever. I'm really starting to think its the pilot bearing???

-Anyone got input on bearings inside the M50D-R1HD?
-I have a complete clutch kit with slave, pilot, pressure and friction discs for a M50D-R1 ('99 ranger 4.0 2WD). Looks like it should work, dimensions all appear the same but I get different part numbers for the 99 4.0 OHV vs the 04 4.0 SOHC. Luk 07167 vs Luk 07139
-What should I replace? Pilot? Maybe slave (done in 2018) just to be safe?
-Im confused on the throwout bearing.... for us its integrated into the slave, right? New slave comes with new throwout too?
-Anything else I should check before dropping it and/or once it's dropped?

Truck has roughly 110k on it, well used but not abused.

Answers I've found:

-Anyone got input on bearings inside the M50D-R1HD?
-I have a complete clutch kit with slave, pilot, pressure and friction discs for a M50D-R1 ('99 ranger 4.0 2WD). Looks like it should work, dimensions all appear the same but I get different part numbers for the 99 4.0 OHV vs the 04 4.0 SOHC. Luk 07167 vs Luk 07139
---After recieving the clutch kit for my 04' truck, they do look very similar but are slightly different with different part numbers. Anyone need a clutch kit for a 99' 4.0? It's a few years old but has never left the box. LUK kit with friction plate, pressure plate, slave, pilot bearing and extra throwout bearing
-What should I replace? Pilot? Maybe slave (done in 2018) just to be safe?
---With the effort required to drop trans and the cost savings, do at a minimum the pilot bearing, slave, and pressure/friction plates
-Im confused on the throwout bearing.... for us its integrated into the slave, right? New slave comes with new throwout too?
---Yes. Our slaves ARE the throwout bearing, thats why we need to drop the trans just to change the slave, its integrated. No need to buy a separate throwout bearing unless you are REALLY intent that the slave is fine, when most people would just swap the slave+throwout since it's one unit. Get quality parts and forget about replacing them separately.
-Anything else I should check before dropping it and/or once it's dropped?

 

[86_FX4]

Who had "Pilot bearing"??

Took some time off today to drop the trans. Once dropped ,immediately saw there was no bearing, just a few bits of metal and mostly ground up bearing powder. Nice. Hard to tell but beyond the splines should be your pilot bearing. Here you can see the cage, zero roller bearings left, and just steel powder.

 

[86_FX4]

What bearing?

 

[86_FX4]

Knocked everything out last weekend in a single but long, exhausting 2 days. Was expecting a buddy to loan me his transmission jack but something came up so I had to do it old school. It did take me an additional half morning to figure out how to do it safely and effectively alone, which I do not recommend.

-Support the transmission. This was alittle tricky as I did not have a transmission jack. I used solid jackstands under the tranny mount area and transfer case, along with my jack with a roughly 20" piece of 2x4 supporting the bell and as much of the transfer case area as possible. I also added a ratchet strap around the trans and through the head of my jack. Lift the trans alittle off the stands and make sure your jerry rig is stable before unbolting. I'm sure there's some mythical bears out there who did this back in the day, freehand, no jack, but, don't be that guy. Especially with the tcase on, safety first, seriously.
-Ubolt the bell. Obviously go slow and make sure your jack is going to be fine once you fully remove all the bolts. Leave the easier ones loose until you're fully ready. Getting to the bolts wasn't as bad as I was expecting. 8 total, and I got to everything pretty easily with a mix of extensions and swivels. For one I had to use x2 10" extensions, a 4" extension, and a swivel somewhere in there, so I really recommend having a swivel set, extension set, and adapter set for your ratchets to make this easier at home. All DIY car guys should have those.
-With the lower bolts still installed but quite loose, give the trans a bit of shake and it should pop free, remove the last few bolts, guide it straight back a few inches until you can see it's fully separated, while moving your stands with you, then lower it and drag it out from under the truck. I didn't remove the trans case which makes it more difficult as all the weight is there, at the very back.
-Removed pressure plate and clutch
-pulled out old pilot bearing, used rental set from oreilly, (same at autozone), the puller and the adapter for pilot bearing. It pulled out pretty much as easy as you could hope. 3 solid whacks and what was left of the cage/race thing was out. It was a tight fit, I can't confirm the tool would fit with bearings still there, but it should.
-cleaned everything in the area pretty thoroughly with the compressor and an rag soaked in alcohol, blew out all the metal bits and really cleaned up all the clutch dust off everything. Didn't resurface here as it looked okay and was done late 2018
-installed new bearing, label facing out and more importantly that meant the tiny rubber seal you can see is also facing out, towards the clutch. Used a socket and a light touch with a hammer
-installed new clutch plate and pressure plate, used the spline holder tool that comes with clutch set and torqued down the pressure plate.
-removed old slave cylinder. Took transmission outside and gave her a good dry bath with a brush and air compressor, outside and inside the bell. Cleaned inside the bell good with a rag soaked in alcohol, let dry.
-install new slave cylinder, then extremely lightly grease the splines of the shaft. Grease it light then wipe everything off until you can just tell it looks little greasy but cant actually see anything. You don't want this grease getting into your new clutch plate.
-Install the trans. I used 2 ratchet straps under the trans tied to frame rails. This honestly was my game changer. I also used jack stands and my jack, but you can drag the trans under truck, put the straps under the trans and float it right up with the ratchets, almost all the way there, throw under the stands and just use a combo of the ratchets, stands, and jack to get everything as lined up and as close as you possibly can. Get under, bear hug the trans and kick out the stands, push it up and onto the studs on bellhousing and line it up. Keep in mind you gotta line it up perfectly AND push in to overcome the slave cylinder. It took me overall probably a solid half day. It sucks. Bribe friends....
-Torque bell, support tranny back near its normal resting place.
-Install starter, steel brush or sandpaper all your contacts while you're down here.
-Install exhaust Y
-Install transmission mount/crossmember. This turned out to be tough, dunno if my frame is slightly tweaked or if it's just this way but it took alittle pry work and installing all bolts loose before smashing things together with impact. (Just the member not the transmission mount)
-Plug everything back in and zip tie the harnesses where they're supposed to be, including slave to master line.
-Fill transmission with fluid, I used less than a gal.
-Reinstall shifter
-Standard (Gravity) bleed slave. I just made sure the reservoir was full and bled a good amount through by cracking the slave bleeder, nothing else, no pumping. I cracked it loose and let it bleed out and filed the reservoir 3 times. On the 3rd fill, once it was almost at level I closed the bleed screw on slave. To be honest I think the pedal feels kinda soft, but the engagement is really good and through the inspection window I'm seeing a 1/2" of so of movement on slave so I think it's good. Feels great.
-If you probably made a mess of the bleeding and filling like I did, give it some time to fully drain fluids and wipe it clean. Again, you don't want this in you new clutch plate. Let everything drain out. I managed to get some drainage from the drain port from the bell meaning the clutch bleed wicked some fluid back INTO the bell,. Looking at the design it wouldn't be hard to do but let it drain, then start the truck and let it get to temp and wipe everything off and make sure its not too wet before slinging those oils into your clutch.


So far the issue is solved. I've driven it about 60 miles this last week, and its feeling better than ever before. New clutch, master, slave, pilot, she's feeling crisp, strong, and I've saved probably in the range of 2k by doing it myself.