2002 F150 -4x2 -4.2L -5 speed 97,000 miles that won't shift. I just bought this truck last weekend from a Ford dealer AS - IS so I am not complaining. Added fluid one day and it worked ok, but won't shift the next day, and it has a puddle under bell housing. The truck starts with the clutch down and the brake on, then when you let go of the brake it takes off in whatever gear you are in. In order to shift to another gear you have to kill the engine, then shift, and repeat the take off. It is leaking fluid out of the bell housing so a friend told me it needs a master/slave clutch cyl. How much trouble is this to change, and any ideas on the cost of parts. I have a mechanic that works pretty cheap on labor.
thanks,
bill

 

You do have a leaking master cylinder or slave cylinder, more than likely your slave cylinder, by the sounds of it you got brake fluid (or clutch fluid) coming out of your bell housing and dripping. its not a big job, but while your there replace the clutch and release bearing with the new slave cylinder. Machine the flywheel for a true non problematic repair. then bleed it with gravity. Pulling the transmission is a must for this job, its not hard with 2wd, compared to 4x4 setups. Change your Trans fluid too, it used ATF type fluid and should be changed once a year for a good lubricated transmission. Your shift forks will tell as the years go on, they wear out as well, especially if your hand is on the shifter alot when you drive, leaning on the shifter does this. Youll notice your shifter getting sloppy before it actually goes right through the fork and then there will be no shifting in that line of gears, ie, 1st-2nd, 3rd-4th, 5th and reverse never wear out until the forks on 1, 2, 3, 4 wear out a few times. These gears are seldom worked, compared to the rest. Good luck. Bill.