I have a 1997 Ranger with a 3.0 V6 & 5 speed.
Every now and then when I start it and put it in first gear when I let the clutch pedal out, I have no engagement with the transmission.
I shut it off.....pump the pedal a few times......turn it back on and it operates normally.
What is happening?

 

Welcome to the forum

Reads like Master or Quick connect valve may be the problem

They come as one piece

The slave is inside bell housing and it has no "valves", well a bleeder valve which can not cause that issue

The hose from the Master down to the slave has a Quick Connect valve which should close when you disconnect it from the Slave, so all the fluid doesn't run down the hose and out
And in the master is the piston that pushes the fluid down into the slave so it expands and release the clutch disc

What you describe is that after pushing the pedal down the slave expands and you can shift into say 1sr gear, but when you left the pedal come back up the slave is not collapsing back engaging the clutch disc, so fluid is being held inside the slave, like you didn't release the pedal

So quick connect valve may be closing, or piston may be sticking, trapping fluid in the slave, until you pump pedal a few times to get either unstuck