Hello All,


I have been having an issue for a long time putting the clutch into first gear on occasion I have to use a bit of force to get it in on all other shifts it seems fine. I drive like such a pansy that it is hard for me to believe that I wore out a clutch at 111k miles. It's possible but I drive very soft and have never replaced a clutch in 30 plus years of driving. But it's possible.

I have tried to replace the master cylinder and no luck. I think I bought a Luk and bled it myself. I followed the directions on the web and think that I did it correctly. So there may be a chance that I suck and did not do it right. I could order a pre-bled one and may get lucky or just waste another 80 bucks.

I am mechanically inclined and only rarely have mechanics work on my cars as I like to be the one who screws them up but doing clutches on the ground is not fun and I am getting a bit older, I also have no friends that would help me as getting in is easier with two people. (that's not true I do have some friends but its not my nature to ask for help)

So I have 2 quotes, This is supposed to be side work but it seems expensive or I may just be stuck on 1987 pricing

600 labor 800 for the parts included. The quote does not include a coolant hose behind the engine but that should not add much. Good mechanic

1250 from a Ford tech using Ford parts that includes the coolant hose replacement. Likely better parts and should know exactly what he is doing.

This repair is far from rocket science but do I just pay up and get it done right with the right parts or go a bit cheaper and take my chance with after-market parts, or just do it myself and enjoy the misery and save a few bucks so that I can retire 3 days sooner than I would have otherwise

I am unfortunately an easy go with the flow type of person so these simple decisions are harder for us.

Thanks

BOB

 

Should include the vehicle with question

2005 2.3l

Yes, there is a coolant hose and fitting behind the head that can only be changed by pulling back the transmission, so good time to change that even if it wasn't leaking

LUK was OEM in Rangers, and I always used that brand in any manual vehicles and have no complaints

You want SELF ADJUSTING pressure plate(SAC), for sure, no exceptions
Parts seem steep in price, even with new Flywheel, which you probably don't need, but to warranty their work most shops require that

LUK kit with disc, slave/throwout bearing, pilot bearing and Self adjusting pressure plate runs about $250
Flywheels $70-$80
New brake fluid, $20

Not seeing the $800 there at all, even with mark up

$500-$600 labor seems OK

 

Ron you are awesome for all of your replies.

The 800 dollar price was for parts and labor. So that seems pretty good. I have also learned that sometimes it is just better to let the mechanic get the parts as if there are any issues they can deal with it.

Thanks


BOB

 

Yes, no shop would or should warranty any parts they did not provide

 

Any info on the coolant line, part numbers , anything

 

I have not found any part numbers. I was able to bleed the clutch with the use of a mityvac and at this time not going to drop the tranny.

I am curious if it is possible just to reroute the coolant hoses but I have not yet dug in to that.

If I had the tranny apart I would likely re-plumb the hoses with silicone hoses so that I would not have to deal with it again.


Thanks for the follow-up.

BOB

 

The 2.3l Duratec engine is a Mazda L engine, this engine was designed to be used in front wheel drive vehicles, so transverse mounted
The coolant line on the back of the head is easily accessible in that configuration, as is the PCV Valve

Ford used this engine in Rangers in longitudinal mount, putting the coolant line in a very hard to get at location, and PCV Valve has to be accessed thru the driver side wheel well

So not really a routing issue, the rear head coolant fitting needs to be where it is
If engine or transmission is ever out then that fitting and hoses should be changed just as preventative maintenance

Ford recommends change PCV Valve every year, but I think every 2 years is fine because it is a PITA, but does need to be changed

 

There are a few recommended things to replace back there. The two major ones are the coolant neck gasket, egr valve gasket, and the heater bypass coolant hose. This hose goes from the coolant recovery tank, under the exhaust manifold, behind the engine, and then to a T, with one end terminating at the EGR, and the other end terminating at the thermostat housing. It's a very hard hose to service without the engine/trans out of the truck, so most opt to replace it when the transmission has been removed for any reason. Ford made this part unserviceable, gluing the hoses together on the "T" junction with a thermoplastic connection, which coincidentally likes to break over time due to heat cycles and general stress. The Dorman part, Found Here, replaces the plastic 3 way T with a metal one that is completely serviceable. There is another hose that comes off the bottom of the water neck that can also be replaced at this time if so desired.