My 2002 3.8l 5-speed mustang has always (since I bought it in April '09) exhibited an annoying "clunk" sound when i put it in first gear, and less so, in 2nd gear. However, if I wait a half second or so (after depressing the clutch), then I can engage 1st gear (or 2nd) and there is no "clunk" sound. One retired mechanic told me that this was due to the high speed of the main transmission rotor having to spin down (after the clutch is depressed), which takes a half second or so, and, that, when i try to just slam it into 1st then that "clunk" sound was the main rotor being jarred into a slower speed by the synchromesh as 1st gear was being engaged.
He suggested that there was no solution but for me to stop trying to engage 1st gear so abruptly, but, to either wait a half second (after depressing the clutch), or, to just hold the clutch depressed waiting for the red light to change, and then 1st gear can be engaged without any clunking sound. I didn't like that answer, because i was always taught not to "ride the clutch", and that the clutch should only be engaged at the moment a gear change engagement was imminent, and that a good driving habit was to promptly depress the clutch, engage the gear evenly but without any pause, and then to smoothly but promptly release the clutch.
Yesterday a Ford parts person told me that my mustang had a hydraulic clutch, and that, probably what was happening was that the reservoir for the hydraulic clutch was probably low, and that it was taking a half second longer for the clutch to be fully disengaged even after I fully depress the clutch pedal. He said that by waiting a half second, it was allowing the sponginess (due to air bubbles) in the hydraulics to finally separate the clutch plate and then the gears could be engage without any jarring. He told me to look for the reservoir under the hood on the driver's side lateral to the brake reservoir. I can't find it, even after a thorough search with a flashlight and I looked everywhere under the hood.
So, is the clutch on a 2002 3.8L 5-speed mustang driven by hydraulics? Or a cable?
Does anyone know where the reservoir, if it is hydraulic, is located?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.