Good afternoon and happy hather day to all;

I am new to this group and have an old 1997 Ranger XL, 4 Cylinder 2.3L engine, 2WD, 5 speed, that has been sitting in storage for the past seven years.

I finally decided to fix it up and use it as a second vehicle. It has been complete redone with new brakes, rotors, drums, tires, dropped the fuel tank and replaced the sending unit and filler tube. A complete tune was performed with new wires and plugs ect. all to get it back on the road. THe problem is that i drove it a few miles and back to the house, after stopping the clutch would not allow me to depress (disengage) the gears are in netural and i can feel all five gears and reverse. But the pressure on the pedel is so great i can not depress it. I bleed the slave cylinder until the fluid ran clear and topped off the reserver but still i am unable to press the pedal in.

It the problem with the Master Cylinder or the clutch assembly with slave? I need some solid advise that is why i am here. Can anyone help? Where do i go from here.

Thanks

Walt

 

you may have a fluid lock so I woul say to open the bleeder a bit and with someone to help push in the clutch and then close the bleeder. Not sure why it would lock as the whole system is pretty flismsy. the master is almost all plastic in construction. Did you check under the dash to see if it became disconnected? If it sat for 7 years I would recomend that you first R&R the master as the slave is a PIA the trans has to be pulled to access. The master is no fun either but I would at least start there.

One thing there could be trash in the line and it is clogged so try to flush by opening the bleeder as I first suggested. Make sure you do not let the clutch uop if it goes down with the bleeder open as it will suck air. Bleed close and then let up on the clutch.

There should not be much more to check as it is a simple system.

lots luck

 

thanks for your response. I have already bleed the system as you have described. I got out all of the old fluid and did it until it turned clear with the new. I am going to R&R the master and see where that takes me. thanks again. i will follow up so that if anyone else has this problem they will know what happened. thanks

 

you can buy the clutch master cylinders prebleed, but here is a link showing you the proper way anyhow

YouTube - Ford Ranger & Mazda B-Series Pickup Clutch Hydraulic Release System Bleeding Procedures

 

WOW, i wish that i had check my email earlier. I installed the master cylinder today and thought i was going to be done but i cant seem to get it right. I bleed it using the leed screw on the housing and pumped it until the there was no air, or so i thought. then my helper said he was hearing air noise at the quick disconnect. I need to get this one done, becasue now i can pump the clutch freely but i am not building enough pressure to disengage the clutch. back to the drawing board.

 

Try this: inside the cab, pull the starter interlock from the clutch rod, disconnect the rod from the pedal arm. You will see a circlip in the master over the piston. Pull the circlip, pull the piston till just the air and a little fluid escapes, pump the master a couple of strokes repeat the above, reasemble than bleed per the manual, open the bleeder and let gravity bleed. Might have to bleed the bleeder a couple of times, biggest thing is the air in the master.

 

Well, today i had the master back out and following the youtube clip, i bench bleed it and then gravity bleed once in place. it worked and i drove to the DMV to get her tagged. I made it there and in the parking lot the clutch just suddenly got hard again and would not engage the slave. It seemed that the system got air some were. so i pulled it out again (getting good at this) and more air came out. and replaced. then drove through inspection. by the time i was ome it was hard again. I think the clutch hose that runs from the Master to the bell housing must be sucking air. The new master did not come with that hose and i have tried to find it online and no success. THe ford dealer wants more for the hose then i paid for the entire master assembly. I am going to the hardware store in the AM and going to replace the O-ring on the quick disconnect. that is the only place it can be leaking from right?

Frustrated but getting good at it.

 

ask for a viton oring if ya do so it will be resistant to the hyd fluid

 

well, so far so good............we obtained a new O-Ring from a local hyd shop and they said they have those quick disconnect fittings generally but were out today and didnt know when they would get them again. they gave us an oring and we installed it. Seemed tight going in, but clearly a good seal. Drove it around and no leak no air sound, everything seems to work fine. used the inspection port to view the slave and it is working fine, must have been a bad o-ring.

Thanks everyone for all of your help. this is a great site with people who can help. you have my endorsement! thanks again.

Walt