Been grinding the gears a lot lately. Realized yesterday that I am get a air whoosh sound under the truck every time I press down the clutch. I am figuring that I must have a leak in the cylinder system somewhere. I got buddy to push down on clutch while truck was running and sound seemed to be coming from within the bell housing.

I don't have the powertrain manual (hopefully buy today on ebay). Does anyone have any diagrams on the system or ideas? I saw a rubber cover on the outside of the bell housing that pushes on a lever of some sort, I am guessing that is the slave cylinder. Also, does the clutch system get its fluid from its own reservoir or does it share with the brakes?

Thanks guys. Don't know if this is something I can do myself or get raped at the dealership for.

 

On our trucks, there is a small round rez right next to the brake booster. That is for the clutch master and slave cylinder.

Okay, there is nothing hydrolic inside the bellhousing. The clutch fork sticking out of the bellhousing has the slave cylinder on the outside. It may be covered by a heat wrap. That hose runs up to the clutch master that is mounted in the fire wall just below the rez. And the master has the rod that runs inside to the pedal linkage.

First off, check the rez. If it has fluid in it, it may not be your problem. Our trucks have a problematic bushing at the top of the clutch pedal linkage that connects to the clutch master. It's made of plastic and fails often. Most people opt for the ebay hyme joint fix. But you can get a stock replacement from ford for really cheap. And the bushing is not at the top of the clutch pedal, it's above the throttle pedal. Just have look and you'll see it.

On the other hand, look for leaks on the firewall in the engine bay, and in the cab under the clutch master. Let us know what you see.

The clutch system on these things are really simple. And you can have a completely new hydrolic setup from Ford for about $60. I hope that helps.

 

I added more brake fluid to the reservoir and that seemed to help. Looked at the slave and master cylinders and lines between them and didn't notice any leaks. How high should the reservoir be filled? It says fill to the 'step' but not sure what that meant.

 

did you check the bushing on the clutch petal? i would check that as well b/c those things make a huge difference on our clutches

 

When you open the rez, and pull out the rubber plug, there is a "step" or taper in the rez about 7/16 of an inch from the top. That is where you stop. If you fill it more, the rubber plug will force it out making a mess.

 

I switched the pedal bushing out for the ebay mod about 8 months ago.


10-4 Rubberduck...that's what I thought...but just wanted to make sure. In which case, the system had been lacking fluid.

 

Well, I hope that solves your problem Aaron. But the question is, "Where did it go?" I would just keep my eye on it. So does it shift better?

 

It does shift a lot smoother. Where did it go? I had no idea where the reservoir was, and I am pretty sure the previous owner did not know about it either, so I am assuming what fluid is in there, is original, allowing for some sort of loss over the years. Truck has 238,000 miles on it.

 

I should add, the amount missing wasn't much. When checked, the level was about 3/8 of an inch up the rubber plug, so maybe an inch missing?

 

While I am at it, I should ask. How do you bleed that sucker out? I was looking for a valve somewhere but never found it. The fluid was looking kinda grimey and figured some new stuff would be good.

 

We actually just did Travis' (strokin_tatsch) I believe I held the slave hose side up and did alot of small strokes with my hand, then we just had to let it sit and let the air bleed out. There is a whole process, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. It wasn't real hard. But Travis' setup was new from Ford with no fluid in it to start. But the bad thing is that you can't just leave the cap off overnight and let it sit. Since you use brake fluid, it will gather moisture, and fail soon after. So I guess you would just have to do it, quick and hope for the best so to speak. Maybe Travis still has the writeup and can post it. But I wouldn't bet on it. LOL

But an inch of fluid out of that rez is pretty big. Hell it's only about 2 1/2" tall.

 

Check inside the cabs fire wall where the clutch rod goes through to the clutch master cylinder. Pull back any floor padding or insulation. If you find any fluid at all that is proly where your fluid is going and the clutch master cylinder needs repair or replacement.

Rog

 

Try this web page for bleeding instructions.
1997 F-250/350/Super Duty Workshop Manual

Click on Clutch > Clutch Controls > Adjustments > Clutch Hydraulic System Bleeding