stuck clutch disc

[gnardoom]

ive got a 92 ranger 4.0 4x4 with 80,000 miles on it, the clutch has about 10,000 miles on it. half the time the truck wont go from neutral into gear unless i give the gas a quick jab or if that doesnt work i have to jam it into gear. im pretty sure the basket releases fine and the synchros are good. i hate taking out trannys so i was thinking about spraying brake clean in there and seeing what happens unless somebody here knows a better way to deal with this

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

there's more to the clutch system than just the disc and pressure plate...



did you change out the slave cyl in the trans bellhousing? how about that clutch master cyl? I'd check those two things out before you start spraying.

 

[gnardoom]

read the problem before you post i said the clutch releases fine, anyone should know thats not a hydraulic problem

 

[gotmudd]

read the problem before you post i said the clutch releases fine, anyone should know thats not a hydraulic problem

your clutch can relase just fine as you said, but what he was trying to point out, since you have a hydralic clutch , is that IF you are not building enough pressure, your slave cylinder WILL NOT have the " power " to push your pressure plate in far enough to disengage your clutch to put it in gear smoothly

 

[Earl43P]

Indeed. This sounds like classic hydraulic clutch slave failure. Or master. Pump it a bunch of times, see if it improves. They you'll know. You might want to bleed it.

All you are doing is matching the rpms to the trans gear speed when you blip the gas. I shift without using the clutch a lot of times using that feature.

 

[MAKG]

If it does this in all gears, it's either the clutch hydraulics as has been mentioned, or you put the wrong fluid in the transmission. Mercon ATF. Not gear oil.

Spraying Brakleen in there isn't going to do anything but deteriorate the inspection cover.

 

[khooper]

There are a few other things that could prevent clutch disengagement, but are not related to storage. Installing a clutch disk backward will make it bind on the flywheel mounting bolts in the center and will definitely prevent disengagement. A newly installed spigot bushing in the tail end of the crankshaft, if it is too small after installation, can sieze on the gearbox input shaft to make it turn with the crankshaft even when the clutch does disengage.
__________________
Great gas saving chips

 

[gnardoom]

There are a few other things that could prevent clutch disengagement, but are not related to storage. Installing a clutch disk backward will make it bind on the flywheel mounting bolts in the center and will definitely prevent disengagement. A newly installed spigot bushing in the tail end of the crankshaft, if it is too small after installation, can sieze on the gearbox input shaft to make it turn with the crankshaft even when the clutch does disengage.
__________________
Great gas saving chips

people keep trying to say its hydraulics, but like i said, its definitely NOT hydraulics, this pilot bearing theory makes the most sense. it seems a bit more likely than the disc sticking to the flywheel but would have the same effect. the problem only occurs after idling at a light or when i first start the truck going from neutral to first, driving and shifting works as it should. the clutch shouldnt have faulty parts though since the previous owner had it done by the ford dealer but you never know i guess

 

[AllanD]

It sounds like a pilot bearing to me...

Often if the factory type ROLLER BEARING pilot bearing fails it galls up the snout on the transmission inpput shaft.

Dorman makes a bronze pilot BUSHING that replaces both the bearing and
the spacer sleeve, which incidentally on a 2.9 or 4.0 mounts in the center of the flywheel, not the crankshaft.

AD

 

[gotmudd]

ive got a 92 ranger 4.0 4x4 with 80,000 miles on it, the clutch has about 10,000 miles on it. half the time the truck wont go from neutral into gear unless i give the gas a quick jab or if that doesnt work i have to jam it into gear. im pretty sure the basket releases fine and the synchros are good. i hate taking out trannys so i was thinking about spraying brake clean in there and seeing what happens unless somebody here knows a better way to deal with this

there's more to the clutch system than just the disc and pressure plate...



did you change out the slave cyl in the trans bellhousing? how about that clutch master cyl? I'd check those two things out before you start spraying.

probably not

read the problem before you post i said the clutch releases fine, anyone should know thats not a hydraulic problem

your clutch can relase just fine as you said, but what he was trying to point out, since you have a hydralic clutch , is that IF you are not building enough pressure, your slave cylinder WILL NOT have the " power " to push your pressure plate in far enough to disengage your clutch to put it in gear smoothly

Indeed. This sounds like classic hydraulic clutch slave failure. Or master. Pump it a bunch of times, see if it improves. They you'll know. You might want to bleed it.

All you are doing is matching the rpms to the trans gear speed when you blip the gas. I shift without using the clutch a lot of times using that feature.

the dudes stubborn, doesn't want to take the effort to bleed and rule that out

If it does this in all gears, it's either the clutch hydraulics as has been mentioned, or you put the wrong fluid in the transmission. Mercon ATF. Not gear oil.

Spraying Brakleen in there isn't going to do anything but deteriorate the inspection cover.

very good point on both counts

There are a few other things that could prevent clutch disengagement, but are not related to storage. Installing a clutch disk backward will make it bind on the flywheel mounting bolts in the center and will definitely prevent disengagement. A newly installed spigot bushing in the tail end of the crankshaft, if it is too small after installation, can sieze on the gearbox input shaft to make it turn with the crankshaft even when the clutch does disengage.
__________________
Great gas saving chips

dude said he's got 10,000 miles on clutch, if he put it in backwards, it's toast.

people keep trying to say its hydraulics, but like i said, its definitely NOT hydraulics, this pilot bearing theory makes the most sense. it seems a bit more likely than the disc sticking to the flywheel but would have the same effect. the problem only occurs after idling at a light or when i first start the truck going from neutral to first, driving and shifting works as it should. the clutch shouldnt have faulty parts though since the previous owner had it done by the ford dealer but you never know i guess

It sounds like a pilot bearing to me...

Often if the factory type ROLLER BEARING pilot bearing fails it galls up the snout on the transmission inpput shaft.

Dorman makes a bronze pilot BUSHING that replaces both the bearing and
the spacer sleeve, which incidentally on a 2.9 or 4.0 mounts in the center of the flywheel, not the crankshaft.

AD

could be, but he never said anything about noise, you'd think that if it was the pilot bearing it'd howl like a b^tch. and if the clutch was in backwards as a few have pointed out i doubt he'd be able to shift it into gear by rpm's alone from a dead stop unless he's built like arnold swartzeneger [i know, i have put one in backwards it wouldn't go into any gear from a dead stop] besides if he bleeds the clutch and it still persts, all he's out is a half hour tops, without pulling the tranny. just my humble opinion.

 

[xfrog]

At least check the fluid level in the resevoir, takes less than a minute. If it's low, add some brake fluid and try the clutch again. This sounds like the exact problem I was having. Moving the shifter from nuetral to 1st or nuetral to reverse would be fine, but over a few days would get difficult and show the characteristics your describing. Turned out to be a slow leak in the slave cylinder. I refilled the resevoir and the problem went away, but kept coming back. I could always tell when I needed to add more fluid. I limped it along like that for a while until the leak got too bad and my tranny was crying for a rebuild anyway. Give it a look, what do you have to lose?

If your gonna ask the question, be gracious enough to try some of the suggestions. Otherwise, people may not be so willing to help the next time.