600 miles from home w/ clutch problems ...

[Chester32141]

 Driving my 2002 Ranger from Florida to New York.  138,000 miles on it and I was just thinking how sweet it was running ... About 200 mi ago while exiting I had a very hard time getting it out of 5th and it would not go into 4th.  Clutch all the way to the floor in first w/ brakes on and the rear wheels were turning at a stop sign ... very weird.  Got gas and pondered the situation for a few minutes.  After allowing it to cool for about 10 minutes I drove it into a parking lot and it seemed to work OK ... a little tight going into gear .... I stopped a couple times briefly over the next 50 miles looking for a place to get help.  Each time it shifted OK ... seemed to be if I kept my speed down to 60-65 mph it worked OK ... I was able to shift out of 5th and into 4th the couple times I needed to ... along w/ slowing down from 70 mph I had entered an area that was probably 10 degrees cooler.  I'm heading out tomorrow and going to take it slow and easy .... I've had clutches slip on me but I don't know what would cause one to act the way this one did .... I would appreciate any thoughts and opinions on my situation.   Sure hope it makes another 600 miles ...
  

[Phyphor]

Is this a hydraulic clutch? If so, I'd check the fluid reservoir.

[never_retreat]

Besides the hydraulic clutch fluid check, climb underneath and mare sure all the gear oil has not leaked out somehow.
It should be easy to tell because it will be coating everything to the rear bumper.

[geronimotwo]

pull the plug on the side of the tranny to check and fill the oil.  they used to use a 3/8ths ratchet head to turn them (3/8ths square drive.)  if you pull the plug and can't touch the oil with your pinky your a little low.  if you stick a wire in and it comes out covered with black sticky goo and metal shavings, your gonna need more than a little advice from this forum.

[Chester32141]

I guess I am an idiot ... Been driving this truck for 10 years and never even saw the reservoir for the clutch ... I check the brake reservoir every time I change the oil.  It looked low ... it now looks high w/ a generous coating of DOT #3 in the surrounding area ... shifts better already ... many thanks !!

 

[Nick1911]

At least it wasn't anything major - that's always nice.

And you could probably get it bled at just about any little auto shop and be back to 100%

[Chester32141]

I'm real sure that was the problem and though there may be leak it's not surprising for it to be low w/ as little attention as it's gotten.  Luckily just low clutch pedal, not spongy ... I'll take it to a shop when I get to Rochester ...

I sure feel a lot better about this than I did a couple hours ago ... 

[Brad Johnson]

Check for leaks arounf the reservoir and slave cylinder. If you son't see any, you may be headed for a new clutch. It's like brakes... as the pressure plate gets thinner the fluid volume in the slave cylinder increases, meaning a lower fluid level in the reservoir. Double check everything for signs of fluid loss before tearing into it though.

Brad

[Cliffh]

You got lucky.  The only vehicle I owned with a hydraulic clutch was a 3/4 ton Ford.  It actually tore the firewall where the clutch master cylinder was mounted.  Was loads of fun getting out of the "way back" of the BLM land and 150 miles home.

[Physics]

I'm assuming it's pretty bad to shift using RPM control rather than the clutch?  I had a slave cylinder go out on a beater I had when I was younger.  I drove it around anyways. 

[Boomhauer]

I'm assuming it's pretty bad to shift using RPM control rather than the clutch?  I had a slave cylinder go out on a beater I had when I was younger.  I drove it around anyways. 

Yeah the modern small vehicle manual transmission is synchronized and does not like being floated. Unsynchronized big rig transmissions can be floated without damage (well without damage by someone who knows what they are doing, not a "grind 'er in" monkey)

[Sergeant Bob]

I guess I am an idiot ... Been driving this truck for 10 years and never even saw the reservoir for the clutch ... I check the brake reservoir every time I change the oil.  It looked low ... it now looks high w/ a generous coating of DOT #3 in the surrounding area ... shifts better already ... many thanks !!

 

It might be OK for now however, the missing fluid had to go somewhere. I'd be looking for a leak (maybe the slave cylinder) which on my '94 Ranger, was inside the transmission (at least that's what the shop said). Had them change the clutch at the same time since it had about 90K on the ticker and they were in there anyway.

[Hawkmoon]

Yeah the modern small vehicle manual transmission is synchronized and does not like being floated. Unsynchronized big rig transmissions can be floated without damage (well without damage by someone who knows what they are doing, not a "grind 'er in" monkey)

A modern transmission with synchronizers can also be shifted without the clutch, and if done right it doesn't hurt anything. I've twice drive Jeeps long distances when the clutch hydraulics failed. I wouldn't recommend it as a practice, but it won't destroy the transmission -- IF you know how to do it.

[Tallpine]

At least it wasn't anything major - that's always nice.

And you could probably get it bled at just about any little auto shop and be back to 100%

It might more or less self bleed with such a short system as the bubbles work their way up to the MC.  We had an F-150 get a bubble in it after sitting a while, and had no clutch at all.  Push started it, and a mile or so down the bumpy road it suddenly started working again.

If you've never checked it, then it could be just slow attrition and not a major leak that needs fixing.  Ford slave cylinders are a "donut" that fit around the input shaft so you have to pull the transmission to fix them (might as well put a new clutch in also).  My old GMC had the slave cylinder on the outside of the housing and used a conventional pushrod and fork.

[Chester32141]

Six hundred miles later and I'm at my destination in upstate New York ... I drove it around WalMart's parking lot a few times last night after topping off the reservoir ...  it was acting better and after a few shifts this morning it was back to  normal and trouble free the rest of the way ... I'll keep and eye on it ... I'm up here for a month so I have time to get it fixed if need be ... thanks again to all ...

When the problem first arose I was about 50 yards from a stop sign getting off of I95 ... glad I chose a quiet exit.  When I first couldn't get it out of 5th I used the trick of goosing it and then grabbing it out of gear the moment I let off ... not sure how I got it into first but  once on the road again I used a combination of double clutching and shifting w/o the clutch ... not sure how effective the double clutching was but it seemed to help.