Hey guys my truck has started acting wierd as of late. I can be driving down the road in 3rd or 4th gear and if I am not giving the engine gas it seems to surge a little bit. Maybe it does it when I am giving it gas, but I don't notice it unless I let off.

Also my clutch pedal isn't coming back up as high as it used to. The clutch pedal always used to come up to the brake pedal, but now it comes a little short of the brake pedal. I can actually push the clutch pedal higher than the brake pedal with my foot, but by itself it will only come up a little under the other brake pedal.

My friend drove it and swore the gears were harder to shift than they used to be, but I actually haven't noticed this myself, but it could be getting harder to shift gradually and I just don't notice it. The truck has always had issues with taking off in 2nd gear since I have owned it. A lot of times it acts like it's going to stall on me and then kicks in hard so I usually just start in granny gear.

What do you guys think my problem or problems could be? Thanks in advance.

 

fingers/springs in the pressure plate may be getting a little worn out. I would think though if you're having issues with the clutch itself, you would have most of the problems trying to get it into gear at a stop....and not going into 3rd/4th.

Have you checked the tranny oil level? 83 so I'm assuming hydraulic clutch? Have you checked the level there?

 

The clutch usually only gives problems when it's under high load conditions. I don't know about the other symptoms, but the surging under light or no load I would think is not the clutch.

 

I can confirm that the gears are hard to shift at slow speeds I just went and drove it, and I had a heck of a time getting it into gear when first starting out. I am guessing there is no dipstick for my clutch?

 

NO....no fluid associated with the clutch itself except for the hydraulics that acutate the throwout bearing and clutch.

You should have a master cylinder in the engine compartment by the brake master cylinder...check the fluid there. Although in 83 you may have the mechanical linkage from your pedal to the transmission

 

If you have a hydraulic clutch, there is a reservoir for the fluid level right beside the brake master cylinder. The hydraulic clutch works on the same theory as the brakes. When checking the fluid, make sure the rubber part that fits inside the cap is in the cap, and not sitting on top of the reservoir, making you think there is fluid in there when it really is just the cap with a little bit of fluid sitting on top of it.

 

There is also a spring up on the top of the clutch pedal to pull the pedal back into position. check and make sure that is there.

 

1983 was the transition year between mechanical & hydraulic clutches.

If yours is mechanical, & the rod that pushes forward onto the clutch fork is adjusted slightly short, the pedal will hang down instead of popping right up on the overcenter spring. It's easily adjustable from under the truck.
There is a locknut which may have come loose.

When it is returning right up (above the brake pedal), you adjust to get 1.5" of free-pedal.


If it was particularly short, it could cause the clutch to not release fully, giving harder shifting........& would grind going into 1st & reverse, even when the truck is stationary.

 

Hydraulic clutches usually don't give any problem as long as they stay bled and have good fluid.

Mechanical clutches, once they're set, they're set. But, mechanical clutches where out at various points in the linkages and this gradually creates slop.

I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned yet, but it was getting there:

Look up underneath the dash at the metal rod that comes up from the linkage next to the bell-housing through the cab floor. At the top of the rod, it slips inside a metal plate about 3 1/2, 4'' long that bolts to the clutch pedal pivot bracket underneath the dash. Look where the "clutch rod" and the "clutch shift lever" join together just near the clutch pedal. The hole is more than likely "wallored" out (gone from round to oval from wear), and you'll need a new clutch rod and clutch shift lever. It's one of the common problems with our trucks these years, and periodically you should lube your mechanical clutch linkage. Though people don't do that, and in the 28 years of driving that mine and your truck have been through, our clutch linkages start to wear out.

If I remember correctly, the part # for the clutch rod that comes up through the floor is 7A553, but I can't remember the one for the clutch shift lever.

I'll have to replace both of mine soon.

While you're examining your linkage, get a good liquid lube like what comes in a tube and doesn't evaporate (grease comes to mind, though I use a differential lube that comes in a tube), and lube all of your clutch linkage parts underneath the truck and do the parts up under the dash too. Then, go through and work them back and forth to get lube flowing and where it should be.

Could be the harder shifting is due to the parts wearing and creating excessive tolerances than what is normally allowed. My truck at a dead stop will grind slightly going into first or reverse, sometimes.

 

Something else that hasn't been mentioned yet, since we are covering all bases. Cracked firewall, but only if you have a hydraulic clutch setup.