I’ll try to paint an accurate picture of what is going on.


Manual transmission revs before catching. Will only go about 10 mph before it just revs again.

Dude I bought it from had it listed with a possible bad clutch. Turns out the cap for the clutch reservoir fell off. He put a baggy over it and it seemed to work. Was running and driving fine.

All of a sudden I was driving and to even get started, I had to release the clutch all the way out in order to get rolling and subsequently get into the next gear. Had it up to about 55 in 5th gear that day (wouldn’t go faster and was revving hard). I was coming home from work that day, it’s why I was pushing as hard as I was. Next day.. won't go over 10 mph regardless of gear.

Now, I can be parked with the e-brake engaged, I can put it in gear and release the clutch and it doesn't stall out. I can also start it while it’s in gear without pushing the clutch in. It doesn’t hop forward or anything.

I replaced the cap and the fluid was still at a good level. So I'm not sure. I think it's the clutch plate, but I'm hoping it's something with the fluid. I tried my best to bleed the clutch master cylinder bus as far as I can tell it’s a completely enclosed tranny. This would let me at least roll forward on an incline, whereas before it would not go at all.

I’m thinking there might be some serious air in the system as the clutch seems pretty spongy when I push it in, but I don’t think it’s different than when it was running fine. So I really can’t tell.

One other thing, when I’m revving slightly, e brake on, put in gear, release the clutch and I can here a slight whooshing noise from under the truck. Pushing the clutch back stops the noise.

any help would be seriously appreciated. Thank you.

-Mike

 

That tells me you need a new clutch.

 

^^^^
Everything you have described are classic signs of a slipping clutch. No amount of fiddling with the hydraulics is going to fix it. It’s lasted 26 years. A good run.

If you do your own work it’s a day and a few hundred bucks in parts. Replace the master/slave cylinders and at least resurface the flywheel - I replaced mine.

Check the rear main seal while the transmission is out.

 

Always use a Self Adjusting Pressure Plate(SAC), costs a bit more but worth every penny