[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-May-02 AT 08:18 PM (EST)]I have a 1994 Ford Ranger. The clutch was releasing out pretty far, almost all the way but not quite when I bought it. So I put a new clutch in and had the fly wheel grinded to solve the problem, but it still released at the same point. But this was fine, I just had to get used to it releasing near all the way out. However, now, every once in a while, the clutch won't release until it is all the way out, and if I accelerate too fast the RPM's will shoot up with no effect on speed, then I can feel it catching by a small jerk, the RPM's shoot back down, and I start speeding up. I can't figure out why this only happens every once in a while, but when it does happen, it happens for the whole day. It is not because of drving far because today I just took a 20 mile round trip and it happened. I guess it could be in warmer temperatures(it is 80 degrees today, the hottest all year so far). Could it be something expanding in the warm temperature? It is very annoying and I am sure it is tearing up the clutch. If you have any tips let me know thanks.
By the way it is a hydraulic clutch system.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-May-02 AT 08:46 PM (EST)]Not too sure if it would affect it, but the largest contraction and expansion I could think of would be air in the clutch line. I think metal isn't generally going to expand and contract enough to cause the completely "on" or completely "off" symptom you describe.

I'm not sure if Rangers are beasts to bleed air out of or not. Some brake systems are that way, and they require specific proceedures to really get all of the air out.

 

I'm pretty sure I bled it when I put it in, could air get in that fast? And i'm not sure its the heat, that was just a guess I have no idea why it does this some days.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-May-02 AT 10:35 PM (EST)]The slave cyl usually only affects it when you dont want to go. Do you go offroad? If so, you could have mud in the clutch, causing the pressure plate not to disengage (grab).

You may just have a problem with the pressure plate.

I guess the slave cyl could be sticking in the released position, and then snapping out once you get going. That would be odd tho, bc there is quite a bit of spring tension under it.



Good luck with it!

Chris

(after re-reading your post, it sounds like your clutch is shot. I would look into a centerforce 2. I am very happy with mine! Its not too grabby at all, just a little "firm" )

 

I have a binding slave cylinder on my F150 and sometimes it works fine, other times it's like it does not want to follow the pedal back out. It will get hung up for a split second and then jump, often making the clutch bang into engagement. People probably think I am a dolt that dosen't know how to drive a stick. Sometimes when it is really bad (forget about driving after a one hour accident induced freeway crawl) I will pump it a few times in neutral and that seems to help for a very short while.

 

tallpaul, ford has a revised slave cylinder for f-150's. yours sounds like what mine use to do before i replaced it. if its an internal slave cylinder. the new slave cylinder has a boot around it(boot looks like a cv joint boot) that keeps dirt from getting in and ruining the seal. the old slave cylinder doesn't have a boot, all you can see is a spring around the old slave cylinder. as for the rangers, i don't know if there is the same deal with that or not. but it does sound like a pressure plate problem. my clutch in my f-150 would slip and some times it would act like tallpaul described his doing. the pressure plate in mine was wasted and so was the slave cylinder and the clutch disc was like new yet. i replaced all of it. problem solved(on mine anyway). hope this info helps.

 

Thanks,

>tallpaul, ford has a revised slave cylinder for f-150's.

In Jan 2000 the Ford dealer installed a slave cylinder in this truck ('95 F150, 300 I6). I wonder if it is the revised version.

>the old
>slave cylinder doesn't have a boot, all you can see is a
>spring around the old slave cylinder.

I do think I recall the spring, even on the replacement. This was a screwed up deal because after Ford (under limited warranty) replaced slave, the clutch was bad within 10,000 miles (warped disk with blueing of the pressure plate and badly worn fingers). I had my mechanic do the clutch and then the slave got bad again. He tore it back apart and said there was a missing part in the slave cylinder which he somehow obtained and installed. Clutch was fine for a while and then back to the usual. I sure wish he'd of asked me as I would have told him to replace the slave. Now I am stuck as it is too costly to drop tranny (not a job I want or have time to do) and it is generally not so bad to force me to do it. Anyway, I will save your post in event we ever drop the tranny again (who knows, the clutch may be short lived as a result) and get it fixed right.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-May-02 AT 01:28 PM (EST)]You know, I didn't replace the pressure plate... maybe I should try that. But I am wondering why I can drive for 45 minutes in the morning with no problem(when it is cooler), but on warm days, it only takes it about 5 minutes to start messing up. I noticed that today, each time I pushed the clutch in it was releasing further and further out, until the point where its not catching immediately. Also, is there a way to make it release closer to the floor. Even when I bought it, it released far out. Someone said that maybe it was because the flywheel had been ground down, but that wouldn't make such a big difference would it? I want it to release further down than it does. Even when it does work fine(the first 5 minutes), there is only about a half inch of play. And what's sad is that my engine has 174,000 miles and is the best working thing on the truck.

 

I had a similar condition with my ’88 F-150 with the 5-speed Mazda tran, and the internal slave cylinder. My mistake was that during the initial failures I did a NO NO. I replaced clutch parts instead of the entire assembly. (Clutch disk, pressure plate and through-out bearing and pilot bearing) When you go in there replace everything because if one part is worn they all are. Don’t try to save a little money, or if your funds are limited as mine were at the time, by replacing only the clutch disk. I had to drop my tran. Three times ( I also had a worn out slave cylinder sticking and not releasing causing slipping and release problems) The dealer and your mechanic should have suggested replacing everything, not necessarily replacing the slave cylinder mine was just worn out. If you have to do major work fix everything while you are in there save yourself a lot of unnecessary work, head aches and prevent future failure.

 

Agree, the dealer should have told me the clutch would be going soon, but I think they didn't want to cover it under warranty. Also, while the slave seemed to work ok until I did get the new clutch, the dealer may have given me the old type slave cylinder just to get rid of it. Who knows. I never did like going to the dealer and that is one reason I don't want a new truck (also to costly to purchase and insure). I was actually one day out of warranty and the dealer took it anyway--some favor!