I have a 1996 f150, 5 speed. Its getting difficult to shift primarily into first and reverse. The majority of the problems are when the truck is setting still, like at a light. To shift into first sometimes it will drop right in, other times it takes a lot of pressure. If I down shift to second, when slowing down then push in on the clutch stop and stop for the light it will drop into to first easily. I can take it out of first when setting at the light and when its my turn it normally drops back into first easily, if I use the procedure above. Reverse is much the same way, but I never force it. I double clutch a couple times and normally it will drop in. There are times it doesn't mesh and takes a couple efforts to get it in.

The vehicle has a new clutch, pressure plate and hydraulic clutch assy. It's full of clutch hydraulic fluid. It also has a new pedal assy (brake and clutch pedals) all done within 7000 miles)

Its odd that some days it can be shifted without any issues, other days it is not so happy and requires I use some of the procedures above. My first guess was it might be the shifter forks, but I would expect that to be all the time. Any ideas or suggestions appreciated.

 

Did you replace the pilot bearing when you did the clutch?

Is it hard to shift into other gears when you're at a complete stop?

First gear and reverse require the input shaft to stop rotating completely. A sticky pilot bearing makes that difficult because even with the clutch disengaged, the pilot bearing can "drag" the input shaft and make it keep rotating. The other gears don't require the input shaft to stop, just slow down.

 

With all those realatively new components, would say that you may need to bleed your clutch as there may be some air in there that needs to be evacuated.

 

Had the same issue with mine - a good bleeding was all it took.

 

I hope that is what it is. I’m wondering if perhaps i’m Not following the proper procedure. I know it was difficult to get the air out. Anyone know of a detailed step by step procedure, on this site or others, that I might be able to download and follow? Thanks

 

Suggestion- when it's balky, and you can switch off the engine, do so. If it then shifts easily, then it's
something with the clutch. If it's still stiff, it's something in the transmission itself.

hth

t

 

Thanks Toby,

I was at the gym when I received your posting regarding the hard shifting 96. On the way home I tried your diagnosis. Every time it was hard to get in a gear, I would turn it off and try it. I tried that gear and every gear and each time it would drop into gear easily. So based upon your diagnosis, it is a problem with the clutch, which is new.

Thanks again..

 

How much free play in your clutch pedal? The free play is the distance you can push the pedal down before it pushes somewhat harder, at that point the slave cylinder/throwout bearing begins to push on the pressure plate. A bit confusing until you get the feel of it I suppose.

Another question, when you take off from a dead stop on level ground, how far do you have to let the clutch pedal up before the truck starts to move?

What I'm getting at, is trying to determine if you maybe just need to bleed the air out of the slave cylinder as eluded to above.

 

88&94,

Thanks for responding. I know exactly what you mean and I will get the answers for you and post this afternoon. Thanks again.

Ok,Finally got around to checking the truck. It was interesting. At idle, with the clutch pedal all the way in, I can fill it starting to grip when I leave the pedal out 1”! It’s pretty tight and you have to make sure she is pressed in all the way.
The other test was to determine at what point I could fill the clutch pushing back or feel obvious resistance to compressing the clutch pedal fully. I feel the pressure at about 3 to 3.5 “ from the fully extended or non compressed clutch pedal position. Thanks

 

I was able to bleed my clutch as follows:
(1) Park truck on incline so front of truck is higher than back.
(2) Put hose on bleeder nipple, submerge other end into bottle with some brake fluid.
(3) Gravity bleed for a while (just let it drip). Check master cylinder and keep it full.
(4) Follow up with manual bleeding -- pump pedal about 20 times with bleeder closed. Pump somewhat slowly so you don't mix air / fluid together. Push pedal halfway down, crack bleeder, finish pushing down, hold, and close bleeder. Repeat as necessary.

If you have a decent air compressor, the vacuum bleeder from HF works great. You can also rent a mity-vac from the auto parts store (usually).

 

Thanks Mark, that is some great information. I never tried the gravity bleed procedure. But I will, that may be part of my problem.

 

88&94, I edited my earlier posting and included the answers to your earlier questions, so it may not show up unless you go back and look for it. There is a small window of free wheeling. Clutched operation. At least that’s how it appears to me, but perhaps that’s correct.

 

I read under #9 and it sounds like a good bleeding is what it needs if that is indeed the problem and I suspect it is. Mark has a good way of doing it under #10 so I won't say any more.

 

Mark, 88/94,

Thanks for the info guys. It is certainly different than how I did it and I suspect that is part of the problem. If I remember right that is 96 brake fluid. Is that correct?

thanks again

 

I read somewhere that reverse bleeding would eliminate any bubbles in the system.