Transmission/Clutch problem?

Your problem is in the hydraulic clutch system. Likely the slave cylinder is leaking down onto the exhaust which causes the smoke. When you drive locally, shifting often, you keep it pumped up so you don't notice the bleed-off. Driving for a while lets it bleed down so that when you do press on it, the cylinder is mostly air and the slave cylinder barely moves enough to let you change a gear. But your description is not the classic symptom set, so I can't tell where it's leaking. This is a job you can do yourself with hand tools, requires no technical knowledge. I suggest you buy both cylinders - master and slave - as well as the hose that connects them. Any auto parts store can supply them. If there is a metal tubing section in the circuit you won't replace that, but be sure to get a tubing wrench to fit it. Brake fluid is what you put in it once changed. You can do all this for around $100. If you have a shop do it, probably $350 - $400.

On Thu, 2 Oct 2003 16:14:23 -0500, "Matt" wrote:

|I want to start by saying that I know very little about cars, so I am hoping |someone might know what my problem is. I have a 1990 ford ranger that I |started having problems with about 2 months ago. I had been driving it on |the interstate, about 75 mph, for about 30 minutes. When I came to my exit |ramp, I went to press in the clutch and the pedal had no resistance. |Usually it feels like it is pushing back, but this time it went straight to |the floor. I couldn't shift, nothing. I pulled to the side of the road, |pushed it up into nuetral and had it towed to my mechanic. The mechanic got |it and said nothing was wrong with it. He was right, I went to pick it up |and the clutch worked fine. I thought nothing of it, and about a month |later headed down the same interstate, going to the same place, and when I |went to pull off the interstate, pressed the clutch and no resistance again. |This time I found that even though it had no resistance, I could still shift |pressing it all the way in. Normally, when I let out on the clutch, it has |to get to about the half way point before it "kicks" in to gear and starts |going, but this time, with the clutch to the floor, just barely letting out |on the clutch it would "kick" into the next gear. (Sorry, I'm not very |technical when it comes to this stuff) I also noticed smoke or steam coming |from around the gearshift (in the cab). Once I got off the interstate, the |problem slowly got better and after getting to my destination, I let it sit |for about 4 hours, and it was back to it's normal self. I drove it home on |the interstate, this time I only went about 55 - 60 mph, and didn't have any |trouble. It seems like it only does it when I am driving above 65-70 mph |for a long distance. | |Now, I'm not sure if this is related, but I am want to inform you of all the |symptoms. I talked to my father-in-law about the above situation (talk |about blind leading the blind) and he said, "you really don't even need the |clutch to shift". Several other people have told me the same thing, so out |of curiosity I thought I would try this, just in case I was ever in this |situation again. So one evening I tried it, and was amazed at how easy it |was, didn't really have any problem, except for downshifting, don't have a |clue how to do that. The next day I tried again, I had driven 3-4 miles |shifting quite often, when I tried to shift to 4th gear, I grinded it. I |thought maybe I just didn't have the engine at the right speed and tried it |again later, and 4th gear grinded again. It wasn't that bad, I wasn't |really even forcing it. I've done much worse before accidently when using |the clutch. So I decided I would give up on the clutchless shifting. Then |I started noticing that now, even when using the clutch, I have trouble |getting it to shift into 4th. It doesn't grind, it just doesn't seem to |want to go down into it, like something is blocking it. I usually have to |try 3 or 4 times before it finally will go down into that gear. So now I am |afraid I screwed something up while trying to learn to clutchless shift. | |Does anyone have any idea what this may be? They may not be related at all, |I just want to give you all the information you might need. It has been a |very dependable truck up until this point, and I am hoping it won't be |something really major, but thought maybe someone might have some idea of |what it is. If it is something major, I will probably be looking into a new |vehicle, as it is not worth fixing, so any help would be appreciated. | |I really appreciate your time and help, |Matt | |

Rex in Fort Worth

Thanks to you both for your help with this. I did some research last night, after reading Rex's post, and found that my transmission (Mazda M5OD-R1) has this problem. This is what they had to say about it:

The hydraulic clutch, slave cylinder/throwout bearing is another item you should pay close attention to. After time, the slave cylinder fails to release the clutch completely. If you are having trouble shifting into 1st and reverse while stationary or if your truck creeps forward with the clutch pedal depressed the slave cylinder/throwout bearing is probably at fault. Unfortunately there is no easy fix here as the transmission must be removed to replace the combination slave cylinder and throwout bearing.

After reading Rex's post last night, and doing some research on master/slave cylinders to see if I would be able to replace this, I went looking on my vehicle to find it. I did find a small hose, that looks like it connects into the side of the transmission, that is unhooked. There is fluid on parts all around it, and at first thought maybe this is where the fluid would be leaking. I also looked in my clutch fluid resivoir and it was full, to the top. That makes me think maybe this isn't what the disconnected hose dealt with. I will try this afternoon to post a picture of the hose and where it is located, and maybe you all could tell me what exactly that hose is.

My mechanic is out of town, and he is very low priced. If I go get the parts, he will usually put them in really cheap. (had an alternator go out on my wife's car and he charged me $30 to replace it.) Usually I would just take it up to him, but in this situation, I am trying to troubleshoot myself.

Thanks again for all your help, Matt

On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 11:16:48 -0500, "Matt" wrote:

| |"JimV" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@vienneau.net... |> I believe the clutch slave cylinder is in the bell housing and the |> transmission input shaft goes through it on these. So, the trans has to |> come out to change it and you might as well have the clutch done at the |> same time. I'd guess $400-600 if you pay someone else to do it. |>

| | |Thanks to you both for your help with this. I did some research last night, |after reading Rex's post, and found that my transmission (Mazda M5OD-R1) has |this problem. This is what they had to say about it: | |The hydraulic clutch, slave cylinder/throwout bearing is another item you |should pay close attention to. After time, the slave cylinder fails to |release the clutch completely. If you are having trouble shifting into 1st |and reverse while stationary or if your truck creeps forward with the clutch |pedal depressed the slave cylinder/throwout bearing is probably at fault. |Unfortunately there is no easy fix here as the transmission must be removed |to replace the combination slave cylinder and throwout bearing. | |After reading Rex's post last night, and doing some research on master/slave |cylinders to see if I would be able to replace this, I went looking on my |vehicle to find it. I did find a small hose, that looks like it connects |into the side of the transmission, that is unhooked. There is fluid on |parts all around it, and at first thought maybe this is where the fluid |would be leaking. I also looked in my clutch fluid resivoir and it was |full, to the top. That makes me think maybe this isn't what the |disconnected hose dealt with. I will try this afternoon to post a picture |of the hose and where it is located, and maybe you all could tell me what |exactly that hose is. | |My mechanic is out of town, and he is very low priced. If I go get the |parts, he will usually put them in really cheap. (had an alternator go out |on my wife's car and he charged me $30 to replace it.) Usually I would just |take it up to him, but in this situation, I am trying to troubleshoot |myself. | |Thanks again for all your help, |Matt

Sounds like you have an annular slave cylinder, which means it's inside the bellhousing and requires transmission removal to change.

If the hose were the fluid hose to the slave, and is disconnected, you would have zero pedal resisance. You may be seeing an A/C condensate drain hose?

You can't post pictures here, so email them to us.

I'm at rex at txol dot net

Rex in Fort Worth

Thanks Rex for your help. These are the pictures of the hose:

After looking at it again today, it looks like this may just be plastic conduit for electrical and maybe the oil is coming from above. I really don't know, maybe you all would know better. Again, I know very little about autos.

Thanks again for all the help, Matt