Hey all.. got a small issue that may be a generic problem that all manual truck drivers deal with. I bought my ranger used at 73,000 miles.. it's an '01 2.3l 5spd manual transmission. Right when I got it (literally when it got into the driveway) I had to have it towed to the shop to put in a new clutch.. car wouldn't go into a single gear no matter how hard I tried to push it in. Anyway, that was in April, so I've been driving on a new clutch since then.. I've only put about 7,000 miles on the car since then, but ever since I got it back.

Here's the problem: When I shift into first and third.. I have to put some extra force into it cause the stick just kinda.. sticks? There's weird resistance and it feels like theres a barrier I'm trying to get past to get it into those gears. This is mostly a problem with first gear- it happens every time I try to put my car into first (unless I hold the clutch in, put it in first, break down the resistance/"stickiness" and while the clutch is still pressed down, put it back into gear.). This happens occasionally with third gear.. it's like hitting a small wall and needing to push through it. I'm trying to come up with a decent metaphor.. it's kinda like flossing a dirty tooth haha.. once you get the crap out of the way the floss glides through smoother.

So.. what kind of problem is this? Or is this just a normal issue with bigger cars and M/T's?

 

They must not have changed the clutch slave cylinder when the clutch was changed.Or it wasn't bled properly.
Was the master cylinder also changed ?

 

it's just first and third, fifth is fine. the master cylinder is for the brakes, right? (cringes cause that's probably wrong). i'm pretty sure the slave cylinder was changed.

 

I would check on the slave cylinder being changed I had the same prob and that is what it was. It could just need to be bled though

 

I just did some internet-wisdom-seeking. So the clutch master is next to the brake master. Got it. Of course my receipt says nothing but "clutch. $500." Which cylinder gets bled, master or slave? and is it easy to do yourself?

 

it gets bled on the tranny at the slave cylinder have you ever bled brakes before if you have it is the same procedure.

 

If it won't go in first and third but will go in second and fifth and OD then you probably have the syncronizer rings going out on first and third.

The prior owner may have been shifting without the clutch or speed shifting, who knows what he/she did.

Anyway it's a good sign the syncronizers are bad when it won't go in gear easy.

Try double clutching it when you shift to third and when you shift down to first. If it will go in then it's a good bet it's the syncronizers.

To double clutch you push the clutch in, pull it out of gear and let the clutch out, push it in and put it in the next higher gear. Going up you don't rev the engine, downshifting you rev the engine to match the gears to shift down.

There is the chance he was forcing it into low gear while braking without double clutching or releasing the clutch and that will wear out the syncro's.

I had a '66 Mustang Fastback with a top load 4 spd and I drove the hell out of it. The top loaders did not shift fast and you couldn't speed shift them very well. I did a lot of double clutching and it saved my tranny. It lasted 215,000 miles untill I parked it for rusted out floors. I bought it new and loved that car and kick myself for ever selling it.

 

When I had a slave go bad it wouldn't go into first or third either.But it would go into second and fourth.
???

 

I'm leaning more to it being the synchros out of wack. I always double **** when I downshift. Usually don't bother when I upshift, but I'll start doing it with 3rd and see how that works out for me. Thanks for the input.

 

Check and see if there is a additive that will work to help shifting. It will have to be compatable to the Mercon oil if that's what yours uses.