Hello All,

I have a 2004 Ford Ranger XT that just turned over 120,000 miles. The truck and especially the engine has been well taken care of.

Lately, it's been really hard to put it in 1st and second gears, and sometimes 4th gear. It's like the syncros are not working or something.

Anybody think my transmission is trying to fail? Or is it the clutch?

Thanx to those who reply...

Larry

 

If it shifts easily with engine OFF then its a clutch issue.

Bleed the clutch hydraulics

 

How do you bleed the clutch hyd on these? mines a 2001 and have similar issues. Sometimes gotta drive it like its got no synchros so you do that 1 sec pause in neutral between shifts.

 

The Rangers clutch system has no margin for error, even a little air in the system will cause the clutch disc to rub on flywheel and/or pressure plate when clutch pedal is down to the floor.
If the 10" clutch disc is rubbing then it is very hard to get the 4" synchro to slow it down, or speed it up, to match Engine RPMs to Transmission RPMs
Transmission is always connected to Rear wheels, so has the same RPMs as the rear wheels, if stopped that's 0 RPMs
If engine idles at 750RPMs then to get it into 1st gear the 4" synchro must slow down the 10" clutch disc to 0 RPMs to get transmission into 1st, or any other gear.
And the same applies to any RPM matching between engine RPMs and Wheels/trans RPMs

So if manual RPM matching, you raise or lower engine RPMs to match wheel speed, works to make trans shift easier then you have a clutch issue.


First test Master valve for leakage
Remove cap and rubber diaphragm(if its there) from the reservoir on the firewall
Have some one push down on the clutch pedal while you watch the fluid level in the reservoir, it should NOT go up, should not change at all.

There is a one-way valve at the end of the master that allows fluid to flow into the system, but blocks it from flowing OUT and back into the reservoir.

On the bell housing is the bleeder for the Slave inside.
With someone pushing down the clutch pedal all the way, loosen the bleeder a bit and any air in the Slave should come out along with some fluid, close bleeder.
Repeat until no air comes out.
Refill reservoir and replace cap

If clutch function doesn't improve then air could be in the Master
The Master in the Rangers sits at an angle, so air can get trapped at the top.

Google: bench bleed ford ranger clutch master cylinder

Lots of videos on ways to do this

 

Thanx all for your replies. They are muchly appreciated.

 

I tried what you suggested. With the engine off, the tranny shifts gears as if it was brand new. On the other hand, I had somebody else except the dealer work on the cluch a few years ago.

What a relief knowing the tranny is good to go. Thanx muchly. :)

 

I had this problem because I didn't know about a reservoir under the hood. I ran out of brake fluid and filling it up helped. A few months later when it wasn't cold outside I pulled out the master cylinder through the wheel-well (removed wheel liner first). Inverted it and and let out the air bubbles through that reservoir and put it back together in less than 2 hrs.

I felt really good after doing this because I fixed it.

 

1999 2.5L new cluch, plate, and slave. Was a little hard to shift before but worse after the new parts.
Ive did all this and I cant get the air out. For almost 2 years now Iv had a hard peddle (seams harder then it should be) but still have trouble getting in to 1 or 2 from n when the truck is running and 4th is all but impossible. Is there a way to remove the plunger from the cylinder and get the air out that way.?

 

Yes, there is a C-clip at the cab end of the Master, it holds the piston in the cylinder
It can be removed, piston will come up and release and air inside, and fluid, so be careful brake fluid is nasty stuff

 

if it was a clutch issue wouldnt it be the same for all gears and not just specific gears?