My clutch peddle is staying on the floor when I take my foot off the peddle, It is a 96 f150 w/300 six and five speed. checked master cylinder and it was full and the stupid slave cylinder they have you cannot see if it is leaking. I put an extra spring on it and it at least comes up now but I want to fix it right anyone else had this happen???

 

Yes, this has happened to me before. These trucks have a slave cylinder inside the bellhousing, as you've noticed. No, it isn't nice, and it isn't a maintenance friendly design, but they do go out from time to time. I have learned to make the repair last, replace your clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder at the same time. It's probably the clutch slave leaking, but the two components share a common fluid, and any contamination, grit, seal damage, inevitably affects both of them. If you replace just one, the other will almost certainly go out within a month or so - just my own experience. Also, if you still have the OE Ford clutch master cylinder, they have a very poorly designed two piece pushrod that is prone to break. The replacements all seem to have a one piece metal pushrod.

To make reinstalling the transmission easier, get two long bolts the same thread as the bellhousing bolts. Cut the heads off, and thread them with hand pressure into the engine - pick two holes to use. This will give you two pegs to start the transmission into when you jack it back up into position. You just wiggle the tailhousing around to get the input shaft aligned. It works very easy this way.

 

Yup, the slave is inside the bellhousing so it is not easily replaced(or inspected). You have to pull the tranny to get to it and that 5spd isn't light(I've had one out before). I've done the clutch on a '95 F250 6cyl before.

Depending on the mileage you might want to do a clutch replacement while you have it apart. Like mentioned, replace the master AND slave unit(you can buy them as a pair) because you don't want to have to mess with it twice.

 

That's not typical of a blown slave cylinder. I would do some more checking before pulling the transmission.

 

Thank you for your replys, I had a fealing it probably was the slave cylinder but didn't want to believe it. I have had some drips out of the bellhousing but at first I thought it was the rear main on the 300, as I have seen them weep before but now i guess it is probably brake fluid. This truck is a 4x4 so me pulling trany and transfer case is out of the question and I deffently plan to replace the clutch p plate and t o bearing while they have it appart truck has only 60K on it cant believe the slave cylinder is junk already, plus whose idea was it to use such a non serviceable unit, did it come with the Mazda trany??
Thanks again
Ron

 

Age is likely the issue more then use. Rubber seal inside got dry/hard and is leaking fluid. That system holds very little fluid.

 

Thank you Frightrain I was hopeing I could at least pull the inspection cover and see somthing but I don't think so
Ron