smooth as silk when cold but after 30 minutes or so shifting from nuetral to 1st is very difficult,often having to force it in.Anything I should tear into and check out?

 

It is unusual to shift easily when cold, and harder when warmed up. If you are sure the slave cylinder is releasing the clutch all the way when you depress the clutch pedal, then I would be looking at the lubricant in the transmission. If you can 'pump up' the clutch pedal by pressing it to the floor a few times before trying to put it into 1st gear, and it then goes into gear easily, you likely have a slave cylinder that is getting weak. If that has no effect, I'd try a lube drain and refill.
tom

 

changing the ATF in gearbox was the first thing I did,no difference.As far as I can tell there is no air in hydraulics,like I described all is fine when cold or be rolling slightly seems to let it slip in easy.What about syncros?

 

Yup. You hit it. Someone 'learned' how to drive a standard transmission on this vehicle. The synchros are worn so much that they don't stand off that few fractions from the cup they fit into. The friction area is worn away, so they don't cause the gear to 'give' a bit before the teeth inside the sliding ring[Name?] try to lock the drive-driven together.
If you look at brand new parts, the synchro, or blocking, rings have grooves on the area that touches the 'gear'. When the sliding donut tries to engage the gear, the blocking rings spin the gear up, or down, to match rpm. But if worn, they travel to far into the gear before spinning it, and don't allow that little bit of 'slip' to let the teeth line up, so the sliding donut[name???] teeth bump into the gear teeth and it is hard to move. The synchro has a V shape on its little teeth that tend to let the donut and gears engage without running flat surface teeth-to-teeth. Boy that sure is a convoluted description. What you have is too much friction on the synchros so they don't slide nice, and thus the teeth bump.
Sometimes spinning the gears up in neutral, and then sliding into gear makes the shifting easier, but you seem to be having the opposite happen. You can fix it, or try shifting into 3rd or 4th where the sychros don't get as much wear, which will reposition the gears, and then shifting to 1st. I wouldn't recommend 2nd gear, as it takes more beating than 3rd & 4th.
tom

 

so how complicated is the repair?

 

Buy a gasket set and new blocking rings. Remove from truck & disassemble. Replace old blocking rings with new. Re-assemble and install in truck.
I do not know of special tools necessary as they vary by transmission. Most special tools are to access bearings and such down deep inside the case or tailhousing area.
I have made frankenstein transmissions in the past by buying an old one at the scrap-iron rate per lb or ton, and combining the best of both. It was a 1959-60 Rambler that jumped out of hi gear. It had to be held in gear to keep going. Worn bearings allowed thrust to move the gears around, IIRC.
Just take 'em apart, keep track of all the little springs and ball bearings that will fly out of the 'donut' carrier and the loose needle bearings and thrust washers.... and you'll be fine. Ha. The donut is held in place by three ball bearings that are spring-loaded into a groove on the inside of the donut. When you go to neutral, the donut stays there because of the ball bearings and springs. When you move it back or forth, it forces the ball bearings down into the bore. When you remove the donut, the ball bearings will fly off into the grass{as will the springs}. Ask me how I know...
Honestly, it is not rocket science. Once you take one apart, and re-assemble it, you will understand more than you may want to know. Manual transmissions are a lot easier than automatics. And exceedingly easier than automatic trans-axles.
You will likely need a good snap-ring pliers, and I can't say expanding or contracting, so you may need both types.
tom

 

Thanks Tom,not sure if I want to mess with that.I allready have too many projects going on.

 

I"m not sure what ATF was in it or what you installed but I had a similar issue with my manual after I put mobil atf in. The bottle said it was mercon compatible but in reality it;s crap.
I had a hard time shifting when the truck was warm. If the atf is too slick it won't allow the synchros to sync up.
I drained and went back to Redline D4 ATF and it works like a champ now

 

The friction function [like that..?] of the lubricant is very significant in the synchros operation, as greenpus stated. Old type F transmission fluid did not let the clutches slip, but rather made them 'grab' when the pressure was applied. GM came out with Dexron, which was just the opposite. Some genius wanted the clutches to slip when applied for a smoother shift. They did. If you put Dexron in a Ford, it would be ruined. If you put type F in a GM, it would work. All being caused by the friction 'modifiers' added to the package.
Possibly you could change the fluid to a different brand and get it to work.
tom

 

I used Amalie universal synthetic,it didnt seem any worse or better after the change.The Ranger has about 70000 miles,it was purchased used at around 55000 miles.

 

I would say this from my expierience with rebuildign manual transmissions...Tomw is completely right about shifting to third or fourth before first. I have my 1984, 1989 and 2001 Ranger(sold) with manual transmissions. The syncros will have an easier time if you run through the gears then hit first...also, timing your stops better as well so your kinda slightly rolling makes it last a little longer. I will agree that someone learned to drive a stick shift in that truck. I taught my little brother with my 84 F-250 in my signature because its newly rebuilt before I bought it.

 

Tom - It sounds like one special tool may be needed afterall; metal detector! Useful when collecting transmission parts from the lawn!

Kevin

 

Haha FACT! Although I would hate to see the day that happens to anybody...check out the Pre-Powerstroke Diesel Forum. There are a lot guys with E4OD's with things falling apart,spilling fluild all over hell and a lot of guys with ZF-5s, T-18s, and T-19s that are not having any problems except synchros...

 

I bought my detector to find nails in my stone driveway; cheaper than a set of tires. But I can imagine being surprised by a loaded spring being sprung. I appreciate threads like these as they raise awareness for that day when you least expect it!!