Manual Transmission hard to shift
 

I noticed yesterday on my 95 f150 that my clutch pedal felt quite a bit different. Now today it's hard to shift into any given gear. sometimes it shifts easy but most of the time it hard to shift. The Clutch pedal always feels different tho and. i have to push it down alot further in order to be able to change gears and it feels loose most of the way down. when it gets to a certain point i feel normal resistance and im able to shift but as stated its difficult to put the stick into gear. I also hear and feel a slight grinding of gears while shifting and even when sitting still with the clutch down and in 1st gear. What could this be and how do I go about fixing it. Thanks guys. :)

check fluid level in the clutch master cyl. it's next to the brake master cyl, has a round screw top.

Either slave or master cylinder sound toast. Check for leaks or get a shop to inspect if u don't know what ur doing

You have a m5 (mazda 5 spd) transmission. Same thing that is in my 96 f150 4x4.

Ford had a problem with the slave cyclinders on thoes trannys. The slave is mounted inside the bellhousing and wraps aroung the input shaft, eliminating the need for a fork.

I am willing to bet my next paycheck that you have brakefluid inside the bellhousing.

Ford has a revision on that slave cylinder. because there is no dust boot on it, clutch material gets to the seal and tears it up, and because of the heat the seal will fail.

Replace your clutch, Flywheel (will have brake fluid burned into it), Slave cylinder, and possibly the line going to the slave (sometimes the realease locks up).

Make sure you get the slave from FORD, it is around $100.00, about 2x as much as anyone else but well worth it. I have not found anyone but ford make it with the boot and upgraded seal. If you get one from a parts store it will only last about 3 months. I tried, first one went out in 3 months, had it warrentied, then second only lasted 2.5 months. I finnaly brokedown and paid the extra for a FORD and it at 11 months it is still going strong.

Check the pedal pivot, rods, master mount, and line while you are at it. A cracked firewall can cause all kinds of trouble. The '80s trucks had that issue, not sure if yours could do the same.

Also, I am A.S.E. certified mechanic, I have done a ton of these slave cylinders. I have had a lot of comebacks because they "started leaking again", but not a single one of the comebacks had the revised ford slave cylinder, they where all peaple who cheaped out and opted for the "Autozone" or "Napa" or "Carguest" ones, so I started making more money off of the peaple who "went cheap" because I would not warranty the labor if they opted for another brand. So the "Cheap rout" is not always the cheapest.
When you get the new slave make sure it is the right one, If you can see a spring around it RUN AWAY! ! ! ! All you should see is the outer rubber boot.

ok. I took it to a shop and they confirmed it is the master cylinder. does anyone have step by step instructions on how to replace it. As much detail as possible would be appreciated. Thanks. :)

A repair manual would be a good investment. :)

I actually have one but its misplaced in my house somewhere. if someone has instructions they could here it would really help. Not only me but others who have the same issue. Thanks again fellas.