The clutch is having serious problems in my 88 4wd pickup (3VZE). I was going up a steep hill the other day and had to wait for a guy to turn. I was going real slow so as not to roll back and all of a sudden the truck stopped going forward, and the clutch started to slip real bad and started pouring out smoke. I stopped for a second, and then basically had to gun it to get through the intersection. by the time I got through waiting for the next light it was working right again except the whole truck reeked of burnt clutch, but I got home fine and it was acting normal.

fast forward a few hours. I drove across town with no problems. on the way back I noticed right away that trying to shift it would not go into gear. If I pushed really hard I could get it into 1st, so I drove as far as I could home in 1st gear. but the first time I had to hit a small hill from a stop (not steep at all), the clutch started doing the same thing where it was slipping bad and starting to smoke. it wasn't going anywhere at that point so I had to get towed home.

just a bit ago I needed to move it a few feet more into the driveway. I started it up and noticed that if the engine is running I can't shift into any gears but if it's off, I can. also, i put it in 1st and started it up, and it could drive the couple feet i needed.

I looked around at a few other threads here but nothing seemed to match exactly what mine is doing. I did look at the mounting plate inside and it doesn't bend or anything when I press the clutch in. any ideas what could be wrong?

 

rear main? pull the tranny to check. 0r headgasket depending on location of smoke.

 

Does the pedal seem soft or anything?

 

pedal does not seem soft at all, and like I said, sometimes the clutch will engage ok but seems like it slips if its under any load.

I don't think it's headgasket cause the engine is fine, and the smoke was a direct result of the clutch slipping. I know burned clutch smell.

 

its possible you killed your clutch/ warped your flywheel. Pull your tranny (easier said then done, i know) and take a peek at it. if the flywheel has any blue spots on it replace it, and look at the condition of your clutch, and depending on how many miles are on it, you might just want to replace it anyway.

 

Could be bad clutch...could be oil leaking on a going clutch. I know you don't want to hear this but you're going to have to open it up. I'd imagine you have oil on a clutch that's on it's way out.

 

the clutch is almost exactly 2 years old if that makes any difference

 

Well after 2 years the clutch should not be shot then...Might have oil on it. As Muddpigg suggested rear main maybe???

 

clutch disc soaks up fluids, so if anything got on it, it's a toasted clutch either way.

split her open and take lots of pics

 

I'd say it sounds a lot more like your clutch master cylinder is bypassing, and while you waited on that hill your clutch was not fully disengaged and over heated which then cause it to slip. The later description of not being able to engage a gear when you are stopped is a classic symptom of a weak clutch master cylinder.

 

Any leaks from the hard lines or hoses that go to/from the clutch MC?

 

FWIW I took it to the shop and when they pulled the tranny they found the clutch pressure plate had shattered into 4 pieces. ouch.