I'm in need of some advice regarding the clutch in my 97 F250HD (351W and ZF5). I have searched on here and Google and haven't gotten a conclusive answer.

Yesterday the clutch would barely release enough to get it into gear and then this morning it would stay halfway off the floor and refused to go into gear without grinding.

I topped off the master hoping it was just low and had no luck as a result.

Questions:
-Is this more likely to be a failed master or slave cylinder? I know the clutch was completely replaced along with a new slave 15k ago by the PO.
-Does replacing the slave in this truck require dropping the transmission?
-Are there any major tips or diy's that I could review?
-If it does require dropping the tranny, would it be worth replacing the master first just in case?

Thanks in advance,

Joe

 

When you topped off the master cylinder did you remove the rubber cup under the cap before adding fluid?
YES you have to remove the transmission to replace the slave cylinder. It would certainly pay to properly troubleshoot the problem before dropping the tranny. In my experience when a slave cylinder completely fails the brake fluid will run almost straight through it fairly fast.

 

Check for firewall flex and a broken/worn out bushing before you consider dropping the tranny.

15K on a new slave?
Is it genuine Motorcraft, or the cheapest part the PO could find at autozone?

 

It was freezing when I topped off the mc, I was able to put my finger into the reservoir without a problem and I'm fairly sure the rubber cap came up with the plastic cap. But I'll check for sure.

As for the replacement, I'm not sure. It was a fleet truck for an electrician company. I just have receipts, I'm sure it was parts store sourced, but unsure on the brand. I'll dig out the receipt.

And that's not what I wanted to hear...

 

The pedal bushing? It's a 97 with 140k. So it should have a firewall reinforcement plate and no excessive wear.

 

The pedal bushing? It's a 97 with 140k. So it should have a firewall reinforcement plate and no excessive wear.

How do I know if the problem is with the mc or sc?

 

You would have seen the rubber cup hanging about 2" out of the cap if you didn't fill on top of it.

 

140k and 17 years is a LONG time for a piece of plastic rubbing on steel for every shift in that trucks lifetime