Greetings, all...

I have a '93 XLT ExtCab 4x4 with a 4.0L V6 and 5-speed manual transmission.

Shortly after I was given the truck back in November of 2003, the clutch went out. (Supposedly it had been replaced not long before). Couldn't shift it into gear unless the engine was off, or I had to slam it.

Had a friend work on it as I was moving at the time and all was well for a while, then it was back to its old tricks. Took it to a mechanic who replaced the entire hydraulic assembly (master cylinder, slave cylinder, hoses, etc.). He said it was possible that it might be difficult to shift later on as these transmissions are notoriously hard to bleed.

Sure enough, about a month later, it started being rough to shift again. Since the mechanics have shifted location to the opposite end of the county I have started with a new mechanic who hasn't yet been asked to look into this problem, and I never did have the tranny re-bled.

Now it's 2005 and it's not always hard to shift, but I still haven't done much but live with it. While I'm not the best shade-tree mechanic out there, at least wrenches don't laugh at me when I pick them up (though I have heard a chuckle or two). Any ideas as to cause, and are there any fixes that I'd be able to effect at home? Or is it just best to let my new mechanic handle it?

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