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Hey everyone, I recently talked to a mechanic about possibly getting a new clutch for my '96 Ranger. I asked about how my clutch isn't slipping yet but rather it grabs clear up at the top rather than down at the bottom like it used to a couple years ago. He said that it might have an adjustable clutch. I've never heard of such a thing. Can anyone tell me if there is such a thing, if its possible that I have one on my truck (its a factory clutch still), and what I can do if I do have one. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Old time vehicles in the 50's and 60's had adjustable clutches and monster springs requiring lots of leg muscles. Newer vehicles all have hydraulic clutches. On adjustment is required. Just keep the fluid reservoir full and when you start to have to add fluid, it usually means the clutch slave cylinder is leaking inside the tranny. I have seen slave cylinders last anywhere from 50K to 200K.
I'm not even sure if my 97 Ranger has it but my 86 had a adjustment right at the clutch pedal. All it does is make sure that the pedal isn't riding on the small hydraulic cylinder shaft. It had a jam nut to adjust for a given amount of travel before the pedal hit the rod. It really doesn't adjust the clutch. In the old days, lack of free play would cause your throw out bearing to fail!
There is no adjustment to the Ranger clutch pedal. The rod connects directly to the pedal. The rod goes straight into the master cylinder and electrical switch.
I remember adjusting it but wasn't 100% sure if it was my 86 Ranger or the 79 Toyota! I guess that you settled that one.
I did have a problem with the 86 Ranger and the clutch where it would slip being on the expressway for a time. I was told that it was a known problem with a plastic part in the slave cylinder at the clutch. On some models the cylinder is mounted on the outside but on my 5 speed it was inside,if I remember correctly. That problem got worse and worse till I sold it.
Well yeah, I think even the newer Toyota's still have them. But not positive. But back the the Ford. The Clutch Fluid Reservoir is always full and I haven't had to add any fluid, so sounds like I don't have a leak. I've got about 68K miles on this truck so far and most eeverything is stock on it. About the only mechanical things that aren't stock right now are just plugs, wires, and filters. I don't really have much experience with clutches at all. Just know that in the vehicles I have had them changed in, when we finally changed them the clutch was slipping pretty good in 4th and 5th gears and the clutch pedal was just at the top before it would grab. And its getting that bad now on my truck, except that its not slipping at all yet. I've heard a lot of problems about the Ford clutches on these trucks so hoping to try as much cheap things before having to replace the entire clutch and hoping that that does the trick. Thanks again for the help everyone. Have a good day.
Did your clutch always grab at the top? Mine has always grabbed at the bottom and I mean bottom!! If I don't depress it all the way, it's hard shifting.
No, it used to grab near the bottom, like 1/4 of the way up. And just in the last year or so its gone from the 1/2 way up point to nearly the top. I hate it grabbing this high. I hope can come up with something soon. Thanks again.
Several Fords have/had an adjustable clutch that is adjusted by pulling up on the clutch pedal. If it clicks, or clunks, it's just did an adjustment. If it doesn't click or clunk then it either doesn't need adjusting or isn't that model.