I have a 94 ranger 5spd 4x4 which I bought last october with no transmission in it. I had several of the transmissions laying around, so I picked the nicest looking one and threw it in. I re-used the slave cylinder that was with the truck because the guy had it replaced a month before killing the tranny. After driving it for a while I noticed that the clutch seemed like it was leaking or something because it wouldn't go into 1st gear from a start, but the thing is that it wasn't leaking from the slave cylinder or master cylinder at all. I pulled the master cylinder to check for any "hidden leaks" and found none, but replaced it anyway since I already had it out. After bleeding it every thing was fine for a while, then it started doing the same thing again. There is no fluid loss at all, so I decided to drive it like this and just bleed that little bit of air out every once in a while. Today I went to bleed it and noticed that it's shooting out foamy fluid. I'm wondering if it's possible that my fluid is boiling? The transmission felt too hot to touch, but I have no idea how how they're supposed to be and since it's bolted to the engine and made of aluminum i'm sure it's meant to get up around engine temperature. Could this just be a case of bad DOT3 fluid? Or is there something i'm missing?

 

No...the tranny should get nowhere near that hot, on a normal day not towing the fluid will hardly break 120 degrees.
Fluid could be bad, but I'm thinking there's air in the slave. It's a PITA to bleed, and since you reused it, I'd be willing to bet money there's air in it that's still trapped.

 

Here is what gets me the most. I have been bleeding it like about once a month since october, I open the bleeder valve one time, it spurts out a little air, then it drives fine for a while until it does it again. If the slave cylinder still had air in it, the clutch wouldn't work right until I got the air out, but it's working even if only for a little while. Could my tranny be getting that hot from pulling 33x12.50 tires through town? I haven't felt it after highway driving because most of my driving is "stop-and-go" where I live.

 

No... I think the case may be getting hot but the fluid inside isn't nearly that warm. I'll check mine tommorow for sure to see.

It sounds like you have a leak somewhere that's very very slowly allowing air into the clutch lines. Perhaps at the "quick disconnect" on the slave? That peice of crap is known for all sorts of problem (namely not being quick to disconnect) so I'd start there and follow all the lines.

 

Most likely it just has air in the line, still. They are a pain to bleed, and you can find air working its way out for a long time. Even with a fair amount of air in the line, the clutch can work okay.

The trans will get hot enough after driving for a while that you won't feel comfortable to leave your hand pressed on it.

 

Well i'm guessing that it's not the tranny temperature then, because it is hot to the point where I can touch it without burning myself, but not comfortable holding for more than a few seconds. I know from experience that these things can be a pain to bleed, but I have never seen one start working and then stop working without leaking fluid. I have not needed to add any fluid in all of these times that i've bled the thing. If it really is air in the line, would one of those cheap vacuum bleeders work to pull fluid through or is this one of those things that can't be accomplished easily?

 

It's pretty difficult. Here's my method: (must be the most copied document on my computer)

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BE SURE TO KEEP THE RESERVOIR FULL!
When I bled my clutch, I operated the bleeder valve, my mom operated the clutch pedal, and my dad kept an eye on the reservoir. My dad watched as all the air came out through the reservoir. So try to get a third person to help if you can.

To bleed the clutch:

-With the bleeder valve closed, depress the clutch pedal to the floor.
-Slip your foot off the pedal and let it fly back to the top (DON'T be gentle).
-Repeat several times (5 is a good number)
-Depress the pedal to the floor, hold it there, and have a helper open the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder.
-Allow the fluid to run out.
-When the fluid stops flowing from the valve, shut the valve and release the pedal. Repeat as needed.
-Be sure to keep the reservoir full, a third person to watch the reservoir is a very good asset to have.

 

There are several places in the lines that can allow air bubbles to be held. They come out slowly and I've see it foam, which with these can be next to impossible to get it all out. The proceedure above will force all the areas that the air can collect to be pushed all the way to the slave and then out. Be prepared to do this a couple of times with a period of time between the bleeds. Seems the fluid will foam then recollect into an air bubble.

 

We must be doing something wrong?
It doesn't sound right to me that we have to repeat the bleeding over and over time, to get the air out, for some reason,the old bleeding method does not work with the Rangers
I did mine about 100 times still can't get it right ,it shifts but no the way it suppose to.
First I have to press the clutch pedal ol the way down to the metal to avoid grinding,
and second when I'm waiting at the light I have to hold the clutch pedal down to shift
or otherwise I have to force the shifter hard to make it engage, it looks to me that air still in the lines or the slave it's weak, and doesn't build up enough pressure to push the pressure plate correctly, that's my guess??

 

Does your clutch pedal get "spongy" when the shifting problem appears? I have the same truck, had the clutch done 3 months ago, and it started doing the same thing. Haven't bled it yet, because I don't have any leaks, and the pedal is stiff through the full stroke. (a leaky slave was the source of my clutch job)


It would seem to me though, that where air could get in, fluid could get out...

I hope you submit a post should you find a solution...

 

Try pushing fluid from the bottom up, it burps any air in the line/slave right out the top.

Suck the reservoir fairly empty. Get a big horse syringe and some clear pvc line that will fit the bleed valve and the syringe. Suck up a syringe full of fluid and push fluid up to the tube end before connecting it to the bleed valve. Open the bleed valve and push the fluid up to the reservoir (don't overflow it).

As the person who posted this method first said, don't be surprised if it works "too well" for your taste, the clutch is likely to release farther from the floor than ever.

 

I never would have thought of that one, but it sounds like a solid solution. I have just been bleeding the thing as it needs it because I haven't had the time lately to mess with it, but that sounds like it's worth trying. Now I just need to find a big syringe!

 

I had to go to a veterinary supply store to find the syringe in my area. The farm/ranch supply stores just didn't have a big enough one.

 

Is there any particular brand of fluid that you would reccomend? If i'm practically flushing it through I might as well do it with something good, right?

 

Anything other than the cheapest stuff available would work, IMO. I've used the Valvoline synthetic stuff and the regular old Prestone branded stuff with no noticeable difference.

The cheap stuff may work too, but I shy away from those types of things myself.