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Ok, need MASTER level advice or VERY creative ideas.


American1990

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Joined
Dec 10, 2010
Messages
185
City
Conyers, Ga
Vehicle Year
1989 1990 1992
Transmission
Manual
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Read everything before you THINK you know what it is!

~Cant get clutch top disengage/put truck in gear~

Ok, so here what going on... if i start the truck up in gear it takes off like a rocket, but if i start it in neutral I can not shift into any gears it will not let me.

So here what been replaced so far... Slave cylinder (4 different ones 2 of them brand new), Master cylinder, pressure plate, throwout bearing, clutch disc, motor mounts, new cross member (old one was bent), and 3 different transmission have been put in.

What has been done, hydraulic system has been taken out and bench bled step by step by perfection clutch to where there less then 1/8 movement in the master cylinder and brand new fluid. Slave cylinder bled also correctly. Underneath the truck i can see the slave push up against the pressure plate. I am 100% there is NO air in the system and it is working correctly.

(WHILE THE TRUCK IS ON) Ok now THIS is where things get WEIRD and tricky... IF I lift the rear end off the ground (Lifting from the frame not axle) I can shift with just a little resistance into any gear, If I lift from the axle to where only the wheels are off the ground i can shift but I have to push it with some strength, IF I have it on the ground and I put the transfer case in neutral i can SHIFT into any gear like it butter, also if I just have the transmission Hooked up without anything I can shift with ease.
Also, if I have the truck off and in first gear (or any gear) if I press the clutch or let someone else hold it down i can not move the truck...

I am 100% sure there is no air in the hydraulic system... I bled it perfectly and got every little bit of air possible.

Ok, could there be some kind of drive line b ind up? or the transfer case is some how the culprit? after I hook the transfer case up (with just the transfer case hooked to the back of trans) I can still shift but that where it starts to get resistance in putting it in gear, not A LOT but it starts...

IDEAS??? thinking either transfer case, read diff, or springs are so worn out it messing up alignment...idk, just shooting int he dark here! :icon_confused:
 
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This sounds really familiar. Is this the same truck you were working on last month with the worn out motor mounts?
 
Yep, I thought it fixed the problem. (I have not had time to drive the truck since I have been out of town and I had rushed putting it all together and didn't 100% test it right, since i got done putting them in around 11 am and i had to leave the next day to go out of state.) so here I am back to square one... lol....
 
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The problem MUST be related to the clutch. From what you've said, the engine, transmission, transfer case, and driveshaft are all working correctly.

The clutch is just not releasing, for whatever reason.

The only thing odd about your description, is that it takes more force to shift when lifting the axle, than when lifting the frame. You should still be able to shift without the clutch, when the rear wheels are off the ground.

Focus on the clutch. Everything else is normal.
 
I forgot to mention I replaced the flywheel and pilot bearing.
 
Dont want to insult your intelligence but is the disc installed with the spring plate facing towards the pressurer plate, also with the transfer in neutral and the truck up in the air can you rotate the rear drive shaft by hand with the clutch pushed in, trans in gear, then out of gear, same with the front, if you elimanate the axles and tranfer, then its got to be clutch I got to say this is weird, also what type of pressure plate did they sell you
 
Yes, I have checked to make sure it was installed right. Also it worth mentioning this started out of the blue before replacing all these parts... just couldn't shift into gear at red light and replaced everything mentioned.
 
Two possibilities I see, one being the input bearing retainer on the transmission, although if you have used a different trans with same effect, this could be ruled out. A quick fix, although won't answer your concern, is to shim the throwout bearing away from the trans. Second is, what kind of condition is the block plate in, the thin plate that's sandwiched between the engine and trans (this will cause a different distance for the clutch to flywheel and therefore effect operation)? The ability to put it in gear while the truck is off the ground has little to do with your issue, as there is very little resistance in the driveline, so the first gear syncronizer engages easier.
The further away the trans is from the engine, the less travel the clutch has for disengagement. Basically, the further away the throwout bearing is from the flywheel, the more it has to travel to disengage the clutch. This should give you ideas on areas to look for...

SVT
 
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is it possible you have the wrong slave? sounds as if it needs to be shimmed closer to the pressure plate, or doesn't have enough stroke
 
I never have enough stroke either. :D

I used a heavy duty Hayes clutch kit my my M5OD. The bearing ended up being the wrong size in the kit, so I had to use my old one. If you have to take it back apart, I'd mic it and check the width for the throwout. Fractions of an inch could make that difference.

2.5 years later, I'm having no additional troubles. Similar elusive troubles like you described.

Just thought I'd chime in with my experience (though it's not the same model).

G'luck!
 
I shimed the slave cylinder forward at least 1/4 if not 3/8 but it had no effect. I have tomorrow off so I plan to keep trying stuff.. the backing plate bent slightly but I don't think enough to mess anything up. I have three different slave cylinders and they all seem like the same size. So I measure the throw out bearing?
 
The problem MUST be related to the clutch. From what you've said, the engine, transmission, transfer case, and driveshaft are all working correctly.

The clutch is just not releasing, for whatever reason.

The only thing odd about your description, is that it takes more force to shift when lifting the axle, than when lifting the frame. You should still be able to shift without the clutch, when the rear wheels are off the ground.

Focus on the clutch. Everything else is normal.
yep....what he said...have you replaced any parts with parts that didnt come on the truck?
 
The only thing that still stock part from factory is front end, transfer case, and gas tank. But everything was done
right, 4.0 swap ect... this just happen out of the blue as I was driving home.
 
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Did you check the clutch pedal to master cylinder eyelet and plastic grommet? If that's worn (or the clutch pedal arm pivot point) it will give you your symptoms...

SVT
 

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