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OT: 1997 Ford Ranger, Clutch Problem?

D

Dave in GA

Member
My son just drove his 97 Ranger to Parris Island,
Marines-related. He has the 4 cylinder and 5-
speed with 130k miles. He called to say that near
the end of the trip, the engine would rev and the
power to the wheels cut out, mainly in 3rd and 4th
gears, like the clutch was disengaging. After the
Ranger cooled down, it worked fine. It works fine
all the other times too. This problem has only
happened 2 times in the last 3 years, both times
near the end of long drives. So that"s 2 times
out of about 20 long trips. Does he have a bad
clutch? Or is there something electronic causing
this? He"ll need to drive back to GA Friday
night.
 
Try bleeding the slave cyl first, it might have some air and is building up pressure causing the clutch to slip. And if you do have to replace the clutch, be sure to include a new slave cyl.
 

Bout all he could do is to try and flush as much of the old fluid out as possible and refill with dot 3 are 4 fluid... DO NOT USE DOT 5....

If he gets air in it its a beach to get out....
 
Engine reving in higher gears under load is a classic symptom of a wearing clutch. Why it doesn't act up all the time is unusual. Once they start acting up they usually don't stop unless the load isn't the same.
 
I have a 1997 Ranger, 4 cylinder 5 speed also. A few years ago I was having a similar problem on my truck. I found that the clutch master cylinder reservoir was low so I topped it off.

I couldn't find a way to bleed the slave cylinder, but maybe that was just a failure on my part.

The clutch worked fine for about 6 months and then it failed. I had a new clutch and slave cylinder installed and it has worked well for a couple of years. I now have more than 285,000 miles on that truck and the clutch has been the only failure that I've had with it.

Tom in TN
 
Sounds like the clutch master cylinder is either not returning as it should or the linkage is adjusted too tight.

Similar to a brake master cylinder not returning, causing the fluid to expand and bind the brakes, except this fluid is expanding and riding the clutch release bearing.
 
Easy to fix on the road, just loosen a fitting at the clutch Master cylinder. if a bit of fluid comes out, answer is as described. Either shorten the pedal pushrod, or get a new clutch MC. Some times the cup seal will expand and cover the compensating port. The pushrod should be just a tiny bit loose when the pedal is all the way released (foot off). Letting a bit of fluid out might get it home without further issue. Jim
 

It does not have provisions for adjustment nor is it EZ to remove a line... Its not your standard set up :cry: If he does get the retainer out of the line at the master and gets air in the master he will have to remove the left front wheel well remove the master reattach the line and hold it at a angle to bleed the air out...

I have seen this one time were the check valve in the line at the slave stuck closed... warn clutches don't fix there self's..

I ran across one were they used dot 5 fluid it would expand from the heat under the hood and apply the clutch enuff to slip the clutch... Let it cool and the clutch worked normal... It was on a 81 Toyota pick up they had removed the heat shield from the exhaust manifold I do not know if it was a issue other than a flush with dot 4 fluid fixed it....

It could be the clutch a smoke test will confirm it... :lol: Warning if it fails a smoke test it will need a clutch soon very soon...
 
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