Manual trans dead.

[89rangerfun]

OK so I have a 1989 2.9L 4x4 manual shifting T case manual transmission ranger. This weekend I went out and hit some trails and on the way back my truck started acting up. I can put it in gear fine but when I go to give it gas it revs high and goes no where. I tried every gear including reverse and nothing. Also when parked on a hill if I put it in gear it just rolls back. Would like some help with where to start trouble shooting.

Thank you.

 

[Ozwynn]

I'm not an expert but I would start with the clutch

 

[chandymanusa]

If it will roll in gear clutch and pressure plate shot. When you replace them make sure you replace clutch slave cylinder also. Would not be a bad idea to replace flywheel or take to machine shop and get checked and resurfaced.

 

[AgPete139]

BDAB, it could be the clutch. But I would suspect it's the transmission / shift forks instead.

If the car is off, you should be able to manually push the gear shift into position (gear). You don't need a clutch to shift the transmission. If the shifter doesn't stay in position or pops out, there's your problem.

If the engine is off, the shifter is in 1st gear, and then the engine is started, the engine should move forward and able to drive normally. If it pops out again or you cannot hold the shifter in the position to hold the 1st gear, then your transmission needs a rebuild.

The internal slave only moves out the clutch fork (clutch shift fork), which slides the throwout bearing, which depresses the fingers of the pressure plate, and disengages the clutch.

If the engine is off, trans in gear, and you start the car (and it WANTS to move or starts to with the gear shifter in position), then you need a new clutch.

The clutch could just be worn and needs to be replaced (after all, think of it as sandpaper on the flywheel).

May I suggest Hayes HD clutch (from Jegs or Summit); it's excellent and has worked very well for me. Whatever you choose, get the entire kit and replace the entire clutch package. It's a system that works well together, and it's all new so that you don't have to do the tranny removal again later.

 

[AgPete139]

Chandy beat me to it!

 

[don4331]

Door #1 - Clutch
Door #2 - Shifter
Door #3 - transfer case is in neutral (technically subset of #2). If transfer case isn't in gear; you will get the symptoms described.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

BDAB, it could be the clutch. But I would suspect it's the transmission / shift forks instead.

If the car is off, you should be able to manually push the gear shift into position (gear). You don't need a clutch to shift the transmission. If the shifter doesn't stay in position or pops out, there's your problem.

He says it shifts fine... if it striggled to get into gear, popped out or otherwise felt funny I don't think he would say it shifts fine.

Sounds like the clutch isn't holding to me, slipping the clutch offroading probably finished it off.

 

[89rangerfun]

I think it could be ether the pressure plate in the clutch or a friend suggested maybe the T case chain. I'm going to start with the clutch and if that's the case I have highly considered the 4.0 clutch swap. But would it be better to do just a more performance clutch? It's mostly a trail truck but I daily drive it in the winter.