NorCrawler

sometimes when i am driving i won't be able to shift..

its like my clutch is giving out? but if i pump it a few times i can shift again.

sometimes the clutch height is at the floor and sometimes its regularly in the middle.

what the hell is wrong with my truck?! help me!!!

SwampThing

As far as the engaging/disengaging of the clutch goes, check your slave cylinder. See if the reservoir is down any, or if there is brake fluid leaking from in between the bellhousing and engine or from the slave itself. Check in the cab too, cause it can sometimes leak in the cab behind the petals too.

Being unable to shift sounds like your shifter boot and socket may be worn out. Do you know how to float your gears? You can try floating it, and diagnose it more if it's not right.

If it's just the slave, you can put the truck in 1st before you start it, use the starter to get you going, then float your gears to get you wherever you need to go. Drove my dodge 250miles home that way when my slave went out and didn't have any tools. Just sucked once I got into town and had to turn it off and use the starter to take off at every stop light lol...

terrybo3

I have this same problem, have checked for leaks, and have found none.

Sometimes my truck is real hard going into gear, I think that is the sychronizers in the transmission. Sometimes my clutch pedal doesn't come up all the way (I'll pull it up with my foot). It's really wierd, but I'm still able to drive the truck, so I haven't done anything about it. And then sometimes I notice that if I "pump" the clutch pedal, it goes into gear a little easier. None of these symptoms happen all the time...but they all happen enough that I'm getting used to it. Does anyone know what this is caused by???

When I get the money, I'm going to put in a centerforce clutch and probably replace the slave cylinder.

SwampThing

I stand by the slave explanation. Lines could be occluded. I mean come on, most people don't replace slaves in 200k+ miles. You're bound to get some particulates in there, or wear out the seals in the cylinder itself.

Could always pop off the cylinder, and pump the piston by hand and see if everything's working honky dory. Better than doing a whole clutch job just to find out it was a slave going out lol...

terrybo3

You're right Clint, and my slave and master were replaced 1 year ago by a mechanic (I will not go back). The rubber line on the passenger side was leaking, fixed that too. Now I have the problem with the clutch not coming up all the way, and it's hard going into gear. I figure he did something wrong with the repair, but I'm a little hesitant on digging in there because it is still working, although not perfectly.

As for the clutch...it was a planned mod anyway, and I might as well do everything at the same time.

NorCrawler

my truck only has 86k on it. haha

but i guess it could be the slave.. because i recently just put the new centerforce dual friction clutch in there, and even before i put the clutch it started to do it. and i know it isn't the clutch itself. ill bring my truck inside today to check all the rubber and hard lines to see if there are any leaks, cause there is no way im doing it in the sun, its effin hot outside. haha

abecedarian

If you can pump it, and then be able to shift, there are either issues with the adjustments to the master and slave cylinders, or leaks around the pistons in the cylinders.
The clutch master cylinder has to be installed properly, bled and all, after the clutch pedal height is set.
The clutch slave cylinder has to be installed properly, and bled, with the clutch fork adjusted as well.

I bet if you stick your head under the dash, you'll see a clevis and pin on the clutch pedal... and who knows what you'll find on the clutch release arm....

terrybo3

I bet if you stick your head under the dash, you'll see a clevis and pin on the clutch pedal....

I'll give that a try, abecedarian...I have no experience with master and slave cylinders, or the adjustment of the clutch pedal, and I wasn't there when the "mechanic" fixed it, so I'm not sure if he did it right or not.

NorCrawler

i checked for leaks and found none. it has full fluid in the res.

but when i just went for a drive right now. i would sit at a stop light, then put the clutch in, not be able to put it in gear, pump it a few times, get it in gear, and i wouldn't even lift up AT ALL on the pedal, it would still be to the floor and it would start grabbing and take off as if i were letting the pedal out. WTF!

ill try looking under the dash and see what the problem is, but what exactly am i looking for thats wrong?

abecedarian

with all due respect... how do you pump without lifting the pedal?
Something has to move in order for you to pump.
It is NOT possible to "pump up" the clutch without lifting the pedal.

oh wait... you're saying you pumped the pedal and got it into gear, but just setting there with the clutch to the floor, the clutch started grabbing and the truck started moving.

either the slave or master cylinder is bad. whichever what, replace both. It'll save you more headache in the future.

NorCrawler

yea like i pump it then get it into gear, then the truck just starts taking off. and right now when i was pulling it into my garage, it wasnt working at all, i had to crank it in gear to jump it into the garage.

cant i adjust the slave and master cylinder? isn't that what you are supposed to do after putting in a new clutch?

SwampThing

Naw you can replace them any time. The slave is pie to replace. The master's a littler harder, cause of the need to bench bleed.

Check the slave and master. To check the master, clamp off the brake lines (vice grips, line locks) and hop back in the truck and pump the brake pedal. If it builds pressure and doesn't "fade", it's still good. Can't remember if the slave cylinder has a soft line going to it that you can clamp off, but if it does you could clamp it off and see if it retains pressure.


Now I can't remember whether it was toyotas or dodges that were having problems with the clutch pedal bracket starting to fracture and bend causing the people problems getting their clutch to engage/disengage, but that might be another thing you could look into.

corax

there's no need to bench bleed a clutch master cylinder. try this
-replace master cylinder
-top off reservoir and gravity bleed the system to get all the old fluid out
-go down to the slave cylinder and push the piston all the way in (pushes fluid up through the master displacing the air)

I've done this in the past and it's worked every time

NorCrawler

well my cousin (works at toyota, parts manager) just ordered me a new clutch master and slave. he said since you put in that new clutch (centerforce dual friction) its probably too much pressure on the slave and master pushing the slave back. that would explain how the truck would start moving when i had the clutch pedal to the floor. and i dont think the master or slave has even been replaced. and he said it would save me a lot of trouble in the future.

Case Solved???

corax

I seriously doubt it's too much pressure on the slave or master, but any hydraulic seal will start to leak and lose pressure over time so it's probably a good idea.

NorCrawler

yea plus its free.

algranger

probly a leak or bad mast. cyl, add some fluid and see if you can find a leak in the system

NorCrawler

fluid is topped off. no leaks.

SAMSON661

yeah my clutch was acting up to and after trying to bleed it i realized i needed a new master cylinder

apalmer1

yeah just replace the master and slave cylinder at once and check on the soft line. bleed it all really well with a partner and by gravity and with a pump if necessary. it sounds like one of your seals is just bad enough to where your not leaking any fluid but your sucking air in which would explain the compression when you depress the pedal. the fact that you have a centerforce clutch makes it that much worse also because their clutches especially the dual friction series require more hydraulic pressure than the stock master/slave are even rated for. i put one in my tacoma with brand new master and slave cylinders and the combination of both still wasnt strong enough to disengage the pressure plate.