Slarty Bartfas

My truck is having clutch/trans problems. I just (yesterday) replaced the clutch and slave cylinder and bled the heck out of the clutch, everything came out clear, pumped the pedal like a hundred times, per the Chiltons manual, checked all the fluid levels, etc. The problem existed BEFORE the clutch change, the swap didn't fix it.

When I'm idling (standing still) and have the clutch on the floor, I can shift smoothly between first and reverse (actually, there's a slight hesitation going into first, but there always has been, so I'm not worried.) Since I can do that, I don't think it is the clutch/slave cylinder. Could still be the master cylinder, I suppose, but I doubt it. I see through the access window that I'm getting travel on the slave.

Anyway, then, once I take off out of the driveway, and I get some speed up, it comes out of gear hard, and I can't get it into any gear until I stop, and then let it wind down, and then I can get it back into gear. Actually, sometimes I can get it into gear, but it goes REALLY hard, and grinds bad into second, and I don't like driving that way (so I don't). Plus, when draining the tranny for the clutch change, the magnetic drain plug had like 10 big metal chips (3mmX3mmX1mm) stuck to it, along with the usual grit. So I'm thinking it's in the tranny.

Any other thoughts here? It's a 94 ranger supercab, 4L, manual 5 spd mazda transmission, 4X2 RWD. 186000 miles. Engine is solid. Replaced the trans once with a used part at 124000 miles (bought truck that way, the guy let the fluid in the trans leak out and fried it). I check that tranny fluid regularly, so it wasn't the fluid. Using dexron/mercon III fluid in trans.

Help!!!! Thanks.

LunaticSVT

Could be a few things.

1. the sycros
2. bad slave cylinder in the clutch
3. even a 30c pilot bearing.

i would look at the slave cylinder. No sense on tearing down the tranny just yet to check the pilot bearing or synchros if it is just the sc.

Slarty Bartfas

I checked the clutch reserve (about half a stroke) and the slave travel (exactly 7.5mm) per the repair manuals. So it's not that. the pilot bearing binding might have been it but It was the same with the one in there and the one I just put in. So I doubt that that had an effect. Master cylinder looks good, too. Tearing the tranny open today to take a look with a buddy who knows them. SHould be "fun". Thanks for the help!

Slarty Bartfas

BTW, what's a "30c" pilot bearing mean?

LunaticSVT

30 cents in cost aka a 30 cent pilot bearing.