Questions

[RangerFella]

Okay, I've got a 1997 Ranger 2wd with the 2.3 and a stick. I currently have some sort of transmission/clutch problem. Only 64,000 miles.

Sometimes, not all the time, sometimes, the truck doesn't want to go into first with the clutch pushed all the way to the floor (at a dead stop, like a stop sign or light). I am almost 100% sure the clutch isn't slipping but there is obviously something wrong with it. Also, it doesn't like to go from 1-2 and 2-3 and every once in a while 3-4. 4-5 has never given me any trouble. The stick 'jerks' and it feels like it's 'catching' when I change gears. It actually made a grinding noise...once. I think it was while I was going from 2-3. Anyway, what is this issue with the truck and how much is it going to cost to fix?

I'm assuming that since the clutch isn't slipping I don't need a new clutch. Is this right? Is it possibly just the master and/or slave cylinders, or even more simple, could it just have air or an leak in the system?


My second question is about the engine. Could I [meaning a mechanic, not me personally] drop a 3.0 or a 4.0 right in this truck or is there more to it than that? How much do you think it would cost [new engine + work] and what are the downsides, besides gas mileage? Premature wear or what? Also, what would the gas mileage sacrifice be like? 5mpg for a 4.0, like 25 (which is what the truck gets with the 2.3, right? I haven't had it long enough to figure it out) v.s. 20-22mpg with the 4.0?


Thanks

 

[michowski]

Ive had the same problem recently. I finally just gave up and took my truck to ford. New master cylinder and a new seal kit being installed on the hydrolic line were it goes into the slave cylinder.

I put a new clutch with a slave in my truck early summer. Then after a while started having a lot of problem with it shifting into gear from nuetral like you. Had ford bleed my entire system and that worked for like 2 weeks. Then all the sudden it stopped shifting good so I replaced the master and had ford bleed it again but that still didnt fix the problem. After ford bled it a 2nd time they said it looks like the slave has a leak. I was like wtf, my master and slave are both new and theres no leaks in the line at all. Finally I took it in yesterday and was like I dont care how much just fix this clutch. They took the trans off to test the slave and it was fine. Ended up were something in the rod thats in the master cylinder was fucked up and wasnt allowing my clutch to work properly so there gonna put in a oem ford one and put new seals on the slave were the line goes in.

Basically im just telling you I would take it to ford and just have them fix it now. Ya might cost a 300 or so but I had spent so much money trying to fix this myself it would have been a lot cheaper to have them do the work in the first place. Had it bled twice, 80 each. 60 for the new master. Still a never 100% working clutch. I finally gave up on this hydrolic system and having them do all that. Costing me 300 but its garuntee'd to be perfect and il have a warrenty on it so il be very happy to have a properly working clutch when I get it back monday. Just take it in dude. Ive been dealing with this for months now just being frustrated the whole time. Take it in and save yourself the trouble.

 

[RangerFella]

Well, I can bleed the system and replace the cylinders myself, no need to have ford do that I think. I appreciate your enthusiasm about having Ford fix it (and, strangely enough, I live within 2 miles of a ford dealership with a collision center) but I think it would cost me an arm and a leg to do that. My 1997 Escort had an almost identical problem and I was able to fix it just be replacing a few parts, ending up taking about an hour and a half and just over 150 bucks. I don't know that I want to pay more than I have to on this...because the truck is in such perfect condition...I don't want some dillweed under the hood of my truck messing around if it's something I can do myself. That's just me...

Do you think that there is any danger to the vehicle if I decide to keep driving it like it is? The clutch isn't going to like...wear out prematurely because of this, right?

 

[michowski]

grinding into the gears because your clutch isnt disengaging all the way is definatly gonna do some harm. Excess wear on the clutch because its still partially engaged and the grinding into the gears is gonna wear down the teeth a lot faster then a properly working system.

I had the same attitude with you and my clutch and did it all myself but in the end I still ended up having them fix it to 100% status. When it comes to this hydrolic system il never mess with it again. My initial repairs worked for a while but later down the road there was other problems I couldnt find/fix myself. And dont make me out to be a guy who runs to the dealer for all my problems. That is an absolute last resort. I put up with this clutch for months before I finally caved in and let ford do it themselves. I figured even if some kid is working on my truck at least il have a good warrenty on the work they did so if something goes wrong it will be fixed at no charge to me. If you can fix your clutch yourself more power to ya. I admit defeat with it lol

 

[RangerFella]

Well the gears aren't really GRINDING...it's just like it's still spinning a tiny little bit when it goes into gear and it jerks the stick a bit...It's only really ground the gears once or twice...

I really hate to throw 300 dollars at it...maybe I'll see if I can get somebody to look at it and tell me exactly what it needs...

 

[RangerFella]

Does anybody have any ideas about the engine thing?

 

[michowski]

Ya I know what ya mean. Still not good at all to be going into gear that way. Ive been doing it for a while now and everytime I had to shift from neutral to first I cringed. Most of the time I just held it in first with the pedal to the floor. I also did the same thing with having somebody swap out stuff and all that lol. Think of it this way... would you rather spend 100 bucks here and it temporary solves the problem then a month later another 150 for more labor and a different part and then find out its still not fixed and finally give up and go to ford and still pay the 300 to fix it on top of the other shops? I mean if you can fix it go for it but I just went through what your starting to go through and I wish I would have really just sucked it up and had ford do it from the start. Ya might cost a nice little bit initially but in the end it would have been cheaper. Plus you cant beat the warrenty ford will give ya for there work.

 

[michowski]

as for the engine swap, go ahead and read through this http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/4L_Conversion2.htm. It will involve a good amount of hours. A lot of parts swapping (computer, wireharness, fuel lines, odd ball stuff like that). I wouldnt pay somebody to do it. I cant imagine what kind of labor cost this would add up to.

 

[blkmazda90]

you need a new slave cylinder. look underneath where the clutch line is hooked to the slave cylinder for leaks. thats where mine was leaking from.

 

[Shoeboy]

As for swaping in a 4.0L in replacement of the 2.3L in my opinion is kind of a waist of time and money, no ofence to those of you who have. If the 2.3L is still good keep it until it dies, if its more power you after, do the 5.0L swap, or the harder but doable 4.6L swap. Amazingly, the 4.6L is more efficent in a the ranger then what it will come out of (probably a crown vic or F150), I have heard of a guy here in Calgary that put the 4.6L into a gen 3 ranger and is getting 32mi/gal, true or not, I have no idea, but it does make sense, since a buddy of mine was getting 26mi/gal in his 1993 vic. For all the time and effort of putting a bigger motor into a truck, at least make it a worth wile swap. If your 2.3L is still good, have you ever thought of a turbo kit. I'm not one for turbos, but this might be one of those cases I'd concider if more power was wanted.

As for taking it into the dealer for the clutch problem, I'm not disagreeing, but I'm also not agreeing. I work in a garage, and I've seen over and over again people trying to fix a problem themselves, and instead of sitting down and logically thinking out possibilties and narrowing it down to one or two very plosible options, they just throw parts at it. I've seen people go as far as putting a new computer, fuel pump, fuel filter, distributor, plugs , wires, cap rotor, ect in an S10 because of a no start issue, it turned out to be a broken wire that we diagnosed out in about an hour, we knew it was a break in the wire somewhere, we just had to trace it out. Sometimes paying $300 to get a problem fixed may seem like a chunk of change, but when you add in all the costs that you've done to it, and the possible damage or death of the componant because of not having the problem fixed, its, most of the time, more cost effective to have a professional do the work then yourself. Just remember, a shop isn't going to keep a technician just because he's a "Nice guy". They're going to keep him because he knows what the hell he's doing. I've seen many "Nice guys" come and go over the last few years that i've been in the trade, but I've never seen a good technician fired for his work. True that the trades are low on tradesmen now, and that there is a shortage of technicians, but shops are still picky about who they hire. A bad tech that may or will cause problems down the road will cause problems, and even good techs have off days and a problem may occure, it happens to the best of us. If you go to a dealer or private aftermarket shop for the repair, you will get a warranty, and anything that they did, or is a result from what they did that happens will be repaired under warranty. No shop is going to throw someone under the hood of a vehicle when they know they don't know what they're doing, Technicians go to school for years, and are constantly taking refresher courses on how to keep up to date, apprentices are working under said technicains. Just because you hear a high price tag or one bad story doesn't mean that you're gettign ripped of or that all technicians are bad. Think of us like doctors, if you broke your arm, you wouldn't try to set and cast it yourself and then medicate yourself for the pain, no, you'ed see a doctor, and the sterotype of them that they do little work, get paid high dollars, and play golf. The truth is the total opposite, ok, sorry, i'm starting to rant, pent up rage i guess, ending now.

 

[RangerFella]

Well, more power WOULD be nice but I mean...at the expense of what, you know? Wouldn't adding a non-factory turbo to the engine probably wear it out faster? I want the most longevity out of this truck....

How much power would I gain from a modest turbo, not anything performance, or would that not even be worth it? Something like 10hp maybe? I just...I think the truck could use a little more power if I wanted to pull something...but I don't think 10hp is going to even be noticeable, right?

 

[almostclueless]

As for swaping in a 4.0L in replacement of the 2.3L in my opinion is kind of a waist of time and money, no ofence to those of you who have.

In my opinion, swaps that involve an engine twice as large and can be done using parts that that vehicle line came with can't really be called a waste (not WAIST) of time. A 4.0 would be a bolt in using junkyard parts.


A 302 would be nice, and I'm not very into the 4.6 for reasons I won't waist space over again.

 

[metalmacguyver]

FWIW, my old truck was almost identical to yours. 96 2wd 2.3 5spd and it was a great truck. no performance mods, just a KN air filter. i had it from 120K to 148K miles. during that time i did plenty of hauling with it. the biggest things i hauled with it were a 4000lb trailer that i hauled about 200 miles to western mass. it did just fine through the berkshires. not as fast as the rest of traffic but it hauled it no problem. the other thing i hauled was a 3500lb boat and that was about a 60 mile one way trip.

it was managable because the first trailer had electric brakes and the second had surge brakes. i definately prefer the electric brakes.



EDIT: i should mention that the axle had 3.73 gears which are pretty decent for what i was doing with it.

 

[dougs3.0L98]

my 98 did the same thing and i had to replace both the master and slave cyl. drives like new now.

 

[RangerFella]

Good so...most likely, since I haven't gotten the chance yet to look at it, the problem is either one cylinder or the other...or both. Not a problem, as far as I am concerned that's home repair stuff.

As far as engines go...what was that straight six that Ford had in a lot of their older F-150s? For some reason I can't bring the size to mind...if I remember correctly it was like a...4.9...maybe?

It was famed for being ultra durable and they supposedly even put it in like 250 and 350s and coupled it with a stick shift with a granny gear...if you guys know what engine I'm talking about. The 4.9??

Would it be possible to shoehorn that engine in a Ranger? That'd be more like what I'd want...because before I got this Ranger I was considering a mid 90's F150 w/ this particular engine and a stick.