I am having problems with my 96 ford ranger 5 speed clutch. It is giving me a hell of a time shifting I have to have the pedal all the way to the floor. Even then it will give me a hell of a time shifting. Most the time when I stop I have to stop the car put it in first gear and take off. It will shift in to the other gears normal sometimes and down shift fine. Then there are little times when it shifts fine. what could my problem be

 

I've experienced a similar problem and come to find out I had air in the lines to the hydrolic clutch. Is your clutch resevior full of fluid?

 

Id say to bleed the clutch out first to see if you get air and go from there.

 

I have done that. Everything is full. I our family friend mechanic put some kind of cylinder in it. I am not sure whats wrong I am hoping it is not the tranny because it does still shift at times. It is just really hard. when he put the cylinder in it worked for a while then it did the same damn thing again.so someone please help me. I need my 4x4 we just got 15 inches of snow

 

He probably put in a slave cylinder. I think your ranger has two of them though (i think).

 

He may not have primed the slave cylinder if that's what he replaced. There's a bleeder on the slave cylinder just like on a brake cylinder. It's accessible from a removeable rubber cover on the side of the tranny.

 

it could be that the clutch fork is cracked or worn out

 

Sometimes source of problem is weaken pressure plate. Diaphragm releasing clutch may be weaken and even if clutch is bled well, it runs like it is not fully depressed. I reccomend to replace disk and pressure plate every time you do clutch job. Less problems in future and full clutch lofe.

 

Thanks everyone I will give that a try if anyone else thinks it is something different let me know.

 

Bleed the clutch again.

There's a spot in the lines that can hold air. And it usually takes several times of bleeding it to actually get it all out. There used to be a proceedure here about lifting or getting the front of the truck up higher and bleeding the clutch and letting it out really quick to help move this air along.

Bleed it, if it's better, then give it a day or so and bleed it again. Then it should be fine.

 

the slave cylinder runs down hill and holds a pocket of air above the line going to the trans go inside the truck where the clutchpedal rod goes though the firewall into the slave cylinder take the lock ring out and sloly pull the rod andplunger out a little till fluid runs out then put it back the air is gone and your clutch sould work hope this helps

 

Once upon a time a number of years ago, back when I worked on such as a secondary income, a Ranger (maybe 88) came to me to repair after the owners son and son-n-law put a clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing in it. Clutch would not release very good. Bleed it till I felt there was no air left, then bleed some more. Fund that the clutch pedal pivot pin bushings were wore out letting the pedal move enough to meet the floor but not fully releasing the clutch making it very hard to put in gear. Pumping the pedal rather quickly would enable gear selection. I turned the bushing to get the wore spot opposite the original location which worked very well. Once I figured this out the owner took it home to get the others to change the bushings. Never came back, I guess that fixed it. Not that this will always be the opportunity (problem) it is something else to consider. Trapped air is the # 1 issue and it's very hard to get it all out. I currently have (recently bought for resale) a 92 Ranger that a clutch "kit" was put in and during the previous one going out and not getting all the air out so it could be shifted correctly, the trans is tore up. Currently putting a trans in it for wife to have a "good" little truck to run errands in.