I drove to buy some tiedowns today (about 6 mile round trip) and stopped to buy some groceries about a mile from home. I backed out of the parking spot and when I released the clutch to go forward, the truck started bucking. I thought I had mistakenly put it in third gear, and made sure it was in 1st and tried again. The bucking continued, so I treated it like I was in third gear and gave it more gas. Once I was moving, there was no problem. It runs, it shifts fine, there were no noises - before, during, or after. The last two blocks to my house there is a left turn and a hill. I pressed it up the hill in second gear, and couldn't detect any clutch slippage. Although the clutch engaged in reverse out of the parking spot fine, I drove past the driveway and backed up and there was a bit of bucking there as well. But every time I try in first it bucks. I have searched for similar M5OD/Ranger 5-speed problems for at least three hours, and get nothing. A few people here reported bucking around 50mph and it seemed to be ignition/ fuel control related. I looked at the transmission with a flashlight and there is some minor oily discharge on the lower back of the case, but no drips on the driveway. I hooked up the code reader, and no codes. I am honestly stumped as to what to try next other than go drive it tomorrow. I did see a suggestion in one post that the slave cylinder could be dripping brake fluid onto the disc. Is there anyway to determine this without dropping the transmission? Am I wasting time looking at the drivetrain?

 

i had some smilar behavior, although suddenly my clutch engaged like 1/4'' off the floor also. turned out to be my slave leaking onto the clutch; no drips on the driveway. check your clutch resevoir and see if there's any fluid left?

 

When checked today, the clutch reservoir was full, so I decided to drive halfway across town to pick up a piece of furniture (about 30 miles, no freeway). I noticed that it only bucks from a dead stop; if the wheels are turning at all, it doesn't. I also noticed that faster clutch release helps (or maybe just makes it less obvious). About 45 minutes after we returned and unloaded, I drove to the supermarket. As I was coasting into a parking spot, the engine coughed and died, although it immediately restarted. When I got back in to leave, I noticed that it no longer bucks at all; even with a very slow clutch release. Looks like I can eliminate the clutch as the problem. I have plugs and wires to go in it, but it had started raining by then. I will change those next weekend. What other engine components can work intermittently or be in the process of failure without setting a code?

 

Just now got a chance to update after the weekend. I struck oil last weekend. Unfortunately, it was on the number two spark plug hole. About an inch covering the plug. Guess I am shopping for a new valve cover gasket. May as well get an intake gasket set at the same time as it looks like it needs to come off to get there. Is there anything else I will need, or is there anything else that is easier to replace while that is apart? I did punt on plugs and wires 3 and 4 on the theory that it would be easier with it apart. I wish I hadn't replaced wire 2. It didn't hit me until it was replaced what caused the oil leak. Now I have to clean it.