Need a good clutch

If the master was replaced, is the adjustment on the pedal correct?  You want that thing to be up in there!

Try to make the rod a bit "longer" and see if that solves it.

Not so easy to adjust up under the dash, but it is free!

Not an adjustable pedal.  At least not without customizing a new pushrod... which is a plastic snap-in thing.

I'll try to draw a picture of what I'm experiencing.

The red is the travel arc of the pedal.  Let's say the floor is 1 and all the way out is 10.  With a properly operating clutch, (using random round numbers for demonstration) as you let up on the pedal, you get to 4 and it starts engaging, then 4-7 is the engagement range, then 7-10 is fully engaged.  That is to say, once you have passed 7, the torque from the engine no longer overcomes the friction of the clutch.

Mine is acting 100% normal like this, but as the picture shows, it is still dragging.  It's not an adjustment issue.  It's not like the truck is creeping at a stop.  It's just enough of a drag that I can't get it in gear.  When I put the clutch to the floor and go for a gear, you can feel the truck push forward a bit and the RPMs drop a tiny bit.  You can also hear the u-joints clunk (that's on the list to fix as well).  But it's not like it starts moving the truck as soon as I let off the floor.  I still have to let the pedal out to 4 to get the truck to move.  It's not like the truck all of a sudden moves when the pedal is at 1-1/2 or 2.

When I come to a stop in gear, I notice that it is hard to get it out of first.  Not super hard, but just a little bit of resistance.  If I pull it out of first, the trans starts spinning and its tough to get it back in.  BUT... if I disengage the dog, but don't pull it completely to neutral, (that is to say, that space between synchros and engaged dogs) then go back into first, it is not spinning very fast.  The drag is light.  It's not like "grinding a pound" trying to get it back in, it's more like 4 little kickback clicks and then it goes in.

Does that make sense?  If I'm sitting at a light trying to get it in gear, it doesn't matter if my foot is at 1 or 3, it won't go in to gear.  Then when I go to leave from a stop, I still have to let it out to 4 to engage it.

The other thing is, engagement is always at 4.  The slave doesn't seem to be leaking or failing because the clutch doesn't creep.  I can sit at a light for 10 seconds or 10 minutes with my foot to the floor and it still engages at 4 when I let it out.

It's as if pushing in the pedal will take my pressure plate from 10 to 3.998, even though my foot goes to 1.  It seems as though pedal travel from 1-3.998 isn't doing anything downstairs.  The pedal and engagement points are all kosher and feel right, but it doesn't seem to completely disengage after I go past 4 down to 1

The other thing is that it is remarkably consistent other than the fact that it has been slowly getting worse over the last 20k.

Hmmm... reading through what I just wrote makes me think backwards friction disk or munched pilot bushing.  I'm no clutch expert, but maybe my slave is fully disengaging the pressure plate, but something is rubbing making the input shaft spin.

There is no noise, though.

Hmmm.

In reply to Curtis73 :

When I found the backwards disk there wasn't any noticeable noise.  But the SM465 wasn't exactly a quiet transmission.

FWIW, I have a 96 Ranger, my DD, 2.3, 5sp, 2wd – so similar but not the same. It has a similar issue but not as severe – I don’t have to shut it off to shift at stop lights. However, it is difficult to down shift into first – especially when first driving it. Once it warms up it eases some but stop lights are noticeable. It has been that way since I got it almost a year ago.

I have not done anything to it, haven’t even looked at it really. It looks like a look wouldn’t be a bad idea now.

I had a release issue in my racecar.  I was told by some very smart people that you need .040" of clearance on one side of the disc for it to be considered released.

A zip tie is about .040" thick.

I drilled a hole in the bottom of the trans so i could see the clutch mechanism and had a buddy push in the clutch while I was under the car. No go on fitting the zip tie.

We did about 4 different kinds of bleeding.  Reverse bleeding followed by a normal bleed did the trick.  Zip tie fits between the clutch and flywheel.  No more crunchy shifts....

L5wolvesf said:

FWIW, I have a 96 Ranger, my DD, 2.3, 5sp, 2wd – so similar but not the same. It has a similar issue but not as severe – I don’t have to shut it off to shift at stop lights. However, it is difficult to down shift into first – especially when first driving it. Once it warms up it eases some but stop lights are noticeable. It has been that way since I got it almost a year ago.

 

I have not done anything to it, haven’t even looked at it really. It looks like a look wouldn’t be a bad idea now.

Do you downshift into 1st while moving?  I don't think that's a good idea on almost any manual trans.

I find that I HAVE to put mine in first while still moving.  Even with the clutch in, the drag keeps the trans moving.  So when I reach about 3 mph, it drops in... not because the synchros sped it up to match, but because the speed of the wheels eventually matches the RPM of the motor.

Its easier for me to get it in first if I just gently hold it against first and wait for them to match.

Curtis73 said:

Tyler H said:

+1 on Exedy for OE replacement.  Otherwise, I have always used SPEC for higher performance clutches.  

Can you enlist a helper to see how far the clutch fork is getting moved by the slave?  I'd start with a visual inspection that you're getting the full range of movement.  Could be a bad slave or master, even though they're new.

Internal slave.  Can't see it.

Bleh....If you have to tear it apart to inspect, I would be tempted to load the parts cannon and replace it all.  Then you know you have correct, quality parts.

Looks like I'm in for a weekend of laying on my back in the driveway.

Anyone around Harrisburg PA have a lift and a shop I can use and want to make some beer/race money?