I have a 1998 Ranger with the 2.5l and a manual transmission. I replaced the clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder , etc less than two years ago. Since then, I've put less than 15k on the new clutch. Now, when I run it for 20-30 minutes, it gets tough to shift into all gears. If I shut it off for even two minutes and start it back up it goes back to shifting as smooth as new for the next 20-30 minutes. When the truck is turned off, it shifts smoothly through the gears. Fluid levels are fine. If I press in the clutch with it in gear, it doesnt creep forward but the pedal does feel a little softer than usual. Its an old truck but the motor is strong and in good shape but, I don't want to put a lot of money into it. Any ideas what could be causing a problem like this? Thanks in advance...

 

You may have a clutch master cylinder going out or air in the system.

A shifter rebuild kit may be helpful even if it is not the cause of your problem. These transmissions are known to shift smoother with a well maintained shifter.

A rebuild kit for the shifter is cheap and easy to do.

If you haven't replaced the transmission fluid in a while it may be a good time to do so.

There is a few good videos on YouTube that show you how to diagnose a clutch issue with the Ford Ranger.

You could spend some time searching this forum I know I posted many videos on this subject

 

Thanks man. When I searched the forums, I really didn't find anything that mimicked my particular problem. The fact that it clears up by shutting the car off for a short time seems to have everyone stumped.

 

Do not get caught up in the mystery part of it. Keep it simple.

If the brake fluid is old or contaminated with water it can cause strange issues like you have mentioned.

This can be handled by diagnosing the problem or fixing the known common issues to Ford Rangers.

Either way all of this has been covered many times by this forum.