bad clutch?
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New User
Joined: Dec 2004
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bad clutch?
I have a 96 Ford Explorer 5 speed. What happens is the stick will not go in gear. When you shut it off you can put it in gear then start it and go but not shift. When I put the clutch pedal all the way down it still goes I have to hold the brake or the car will keep going. I checked the fluids for the clutch and it was all the way low I filled it with dot 3 fluid and there were air bubbles that came to the top I have checked for any leaks no leaks and where I filled it it is still in the same spot. Someone told me to bleed the line. Someone told me the master cylinder. Just getting some more advise. thanks
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 22
From: Lacey, WA
Bob,
The master cylinder is for the brakes. The clutch slave cylinder is for the clutch. You are right, it sounds like you need to bleed it.
Crawl under the truck and look on the side of the bell housing and you should see the ram that actuates the clutch fork. It will have a metal tube coming out of it that goes up to where you put the fluid in. Anyway, down on this ram you should find a bleeder valve. You want to have a friend push the clutch to the floor and hold it there. You then open the bleeder with a wrench about a 1/4 turn. Fluid will shoot out under force. Now close the bleeder and tell your friend to release the clutch and then push it back in and hold it so you can crack the bleeder open again. You want to repeat this process until no air bubbles come out when you crack open the bleeder. It's important that your friend NOT release the clutch pedal while you have the bleeder open or else you will suck air into the line.
If you have to do this procedure a bunch be sure and top off the fluid.
Hope this helps,
Lee
The master cylinder is for the brakes. The clutch slave cylinder is for the clutch. You are right, it sounds like you need to bleed it.
Crawl under the truck and look on the side of the bell housing and you should see the ram that actuates the clutch fork. It will have a metal tube coming out of it that goes up to where you put the fluid in. Anyway, down on this ram you should find a bleeder valve. You want to have a friend push the clutch to the floor and hold it there. You then open the bleeder with a wrench about a 1/4 turn. Fluid will shoot out under force. Now close the bleeder and tell your friend to release the clutch and then push it back in and hold it so you can crack the bleeder open again. You want to repeat this process until no air bubbles come out when you crack open the bleeder. It's important that your friend NOT release the clutch pedal while you have the bleeder open or else you will suck air into the line.
If you have to do this procedure a bunch be sure and top off the fluid.
Hope this helps,
Lee
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Ok now I bled the system and its still does the same thing. But if i pull really hard I can get it into 4th gear. But it keeps going even while I have the clutch depressed maby I need a new clutch or slave cylinder is bad anymore suggestions.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 7
From: NE Tennessee
Oh man
Be careful trying to force it into gear. You could damage your shift forks or such. Did this in my mustang cause I was too impatient to wait a day til my adjustable clutch cable got here.
If ya got it bled as well as ya can (they are a pain) then I'd start with the slave cylinder on the firewall. Then it may be the cylinder on the trans. I'd work in that direction. Anyone else have a suggestion?
If ya got it bled as well as ya can (they are a pain) then I'd start with the slave cylinder on the firewall. Then it may be the cylinder on the trans. I'd work in that direction. Anyone else have a suggestion?
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hmm
You think I should just take it into the shop and have them look at it guess its not a simple thing it really sounds simple though casue it went progressivly bad like it was leaking or something.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 7
From: NE Tennessee
What's odd is if this pedal problem started all at once and then you found that the fluid was low it should have really just needed fluid and bled to fix the pedal but not the fluid slowly leaking out. You could have tore a seal in the clutch cylinder from the low fluid but would be odd (but ya never know). The clutch sylinderis pretty simple to replace on the firewall. If ya can bleed the system you could replace one. However if ya think your not getting it bled good I'd probably take it to a reliable shop but good luck on finding one not wanting to sell you parts but parts may be just what ya need. 
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