I hate my 92 F150

Not to sound harsh, but you need a new truck. Fuel leaks are not something to let go. You are asking for a problem if you continue to drive it. As far as the clutch, it sounds like you need a new slave cylinder which means pulling the trans out.

You can try bleeding the hydraulic clutch system. It uses brake fluid. Unfortunately, the slave cylinder is *inside* the transmission so replacing it is a big deal. This is just one reason why I hate your truck. Anyhoo, if you have a slow leak you may be able to get by temporarily by getting the air out of the clutch hydraulic lines and adding brake fluid to the reservoir.

Toyota MDT in MO

I was talking to a guy that lives upstairs, who apparently knows a thing or two, and he recommended bleeding, as well as the possibility that it may be low on fluid. However, apart from checking the oil, changing tires, and jumpstarts, I'm completely retarded when it comes to cars. He also claimed that there is no reservoir... whatever. Lack of an owners manual doesn't help, I know that.

Oh, and jfrancis, not to sound poor, but given my current financial situation, this is what I'm stuck with :-P Getting a new truck isn't an option, this thing needs to last me preferably through the rest of college.

Thanks Jake The POS you all know and hate:

If it is anything like the ranger, bleeding the system is a major PITA that requires you to put fluid into the system from the slave cylinder. I'm not certain about the F150, but on the ranger, the master cylinder for the clutch is oriented in such a way that you cannot get the air trapped inside of it out unless you either remove it(PITA because of the way the pushrod is designed to be permanently installed), or push fluid up from the bottom.

I'm not a big fan of that release system they started using that cannot be repaired without pulling the transmission. The castings I've seen have still had provisions for an external release cylinder/fork. I guess doing it this way saved them a buck or two. Typical ford logic I guess (TFI modules on the distributor anyone???)

Chris

The Ranger style system is notoriously difficult to bleed, but I don't remember having difficulty with the F150 -- but it's been a really long time. For sanity's sake I like to forget as much as possible about any Ford repair encounters.

Toyota MDT in MO

Look at the heater core; one of the easest to remove BTW- Had on in the shop that would get a blast of warm air, then cool, the core was restricted (under 50$)

Most likely bad fuel pump

My spare tire caused it to rust out. Trace the fuel to the source- perhaps the fuel pump access point. If the leak goes away as the tank goes down, then that's not it-- trace it to the leak

Can't find the leak. However, my tank is very low, and it's a lot less wet under there than it was before.

On top of all that, as I was driving around town today, the clutch pedal was hesitating to come back up. A few times, I had to pull it up with my foot. It's also now getting tough to shift, and we're grinding into reverse.

I was absolutely amazed at the amount of rust under my truck, though. I really don't think it should have passed inspection, and probably wouldn't have, if it weren't for the fact that my mechanic is the one that sold it to me. Even the rear bumper behind the license plate is rusted through. About the only thing not rusted to hell is the muffler and exaust.

I was just poking around under the hood, and saw something that looked quite odd next to the transmission. I got underneath, and sure enough, it's a hose that goes nowhere. As I was inspecting this hose-to-nowhere, I noticed the transmission is leaking, front and back. Yummy brown stuff, I'm assuming transmission fluid, unless of course the slave cylinder actually is leaking and it's brake fluid. Back is wet, front had a small wet spot (size of a quarter, we'll say) on the stone underneath, and a half a drop waiting to build up enough for gravity to take over.

I despise this truck.

Jake

"Search4Lancer" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

you really must have checked it over good before buying it huh??? You apparently didn`t even look at it at all. so quit your bitching. you only have yourself to blame. KB

Unrelated to truck mechanical issues, get a new mechanic. If he is willing to sell you that type of vehicle can't imagine the shortcuts this guy is willing to take elsewhere OR did he give you a _really_ and I stress __really__ good price.

1) Try adjusting the clutch. It will either be the ford pull up on the clutch pedal and push down affair like the mustang or there will be a cable or linkage to adjust. About all you can do short of pulling off the trans to see in there. 2) What's wrong with the heater? Blower motor? Resistor block? Check and see which and replace. Should be cheap at a self serve junk yard. 3) Check to see if front and rear fuel pumps are the same. Swap them. Get another rear tank and a fuel pump from the self serve junk yard and swap them in.

Not only is a self serve yard cheap, you learn how to do the job on junk car and make the mistakes there.

No adjustments on a Ford clutch - Sounds like the pressure plate ie weak

Personally, I'd check the power to to ft pump, if good put a new pump in it--- not cheap, but the tank is a PITA to remove. I'd hate to do it for no reason.

Are you playing some sort of semantic game? Of course a cable/linkage can be adjusted.

If it's a hydraulic clutch, then one needs to check the clutch master cylinder and slave clyinder. I would start with the slave.

Gee Kevin, thanks for your oh-so-productive insight. Kind of hard for me to check it over when I don't know a goddamn thing about cars. Not everybody is a mechanic, dipshit, and given the situation I was in at the time this was absolutely the only choice I had. Excuse me for trusting the mechanic my family's been with for longer than I can remember.

I plan to.

$1300, if I recall correctly.

Tried pulling, etc, no go. Have yet to find where to bleed it, too.

Blows cold air... well, depending on the temp outside, of course. Other than that, beats me.

Smart thinking. At the very least, swap the pumps and use the front tank. When I get home for Thanksgiving break, I'll have ramps to put it up on, as well as the mechanically inclined guy living in my basement. We'll see. Actually, now that I think of it, I believe the fuel pumps are internal... least that's what I was told by a mechanic trying to help me out on the road when I oh-so-rudely found out the front didn't work.

Jake

OK. Your Learning. A Ford Clutch is Hydraulic. There Is no adjustments from the pedal to the Slave. Now get the clues. What causes the pedal to return? the pressure plate. Ok now for more trivia. Where is the slave cylinder located? Around the input shaft to the transmission. To replace it YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION! So at this point you think you might as well replace the clutch, pressure plate, slave cylinder and throw out bearing. Also, the hydraulic line is very difficult to remove and can be a b*tch to bleed; in some cases the best option is prior to installing a hydraulic system is to let it hang overnight MC up. I've done two clutches on my own F-250 and several on other rigs. Class dismissed.

I will correct myself, A Ford Truck is hydrolic as the posters is.

"Search4Lancer" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

But yet after you have a problem you can look under it and see some problems???????? Its not that you don`t know shit about cars, it appears you have no common since either. If you have known this guy that long I would go back and try to get some compensation back, as he should have been able to see it as a pile in the first place. if you don`t know crap about cars you don`t get a old pile and then bitch when it breaks, that is what old crap does. Asking for help is one thing, bitching about your poor judgemnet is another. KB

I do apologies for the unnecessary sass; his reply appeared not 7 minutes after I posted the original reply and his opening sentence was "Are you playing some sort of semantic game? Of course a cable/linkage can be adjusted. If it's a hydraulic clutch, then one needs to check the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder. I would start with the slave."

He was way off base and challenged my knowledge of Ford trucks- I was a bit insulted. Anyway I appreciate your tact in the reply. I subscribe to these newsgroups to help others. I feel we can always learn something. I do appreciate your knowledge of cars and whenever I see your name I know there is a logical reply behind it. Take Care

Steve

Nice language. You were way off base, you generalized how his truck worked as if all ford vehicles worked on the same principle. I write from knowledge. If I don't know how a mustang clutch operates, I will give general advise and let those who know give the exacting details. I originally stepped into the conversation and corrected a few points of yours for the benefit of the OP and you come back 7 minutes later telling me I don't know Sh*t on how a Ford clutch operates. I did the first clutch on my truck twice; after installing it there was a noise- the aftermarket pressure-plate was hitting a internal rib. The second time I did the clutch was during the engine rebuild- got it all together and it didn't work- the original throw-out bearing didn't match the replacement, engine in- transmission out. What a PITA I get to repair cars for a living. I may not know everything, but I do know something's and this I will share. What I don't know I will ask.

Before the internet became common place, this was a decent newsgroup of people trying to help each other. I come back to this group every few years to give it another chance. It failed again. It's obvious a bunch of wrench turners think this is some sort of pissing contest. All you get from that is a yellow pool.