Reluctant Clutch
#1
Reluctant Clutch
My vehicle is a 1994 Mazda B-4000 Pickup with the 4 litre V-6 and 5 speed trans (2WD). I have just over 100,000 miles on it and for the past year I have had difficulty putting the transmission into gear from a dead stop. It acts as if the clutch won't fully disengage. If I am rolling slightly, there is no problem and there is no problem shifting while driving. My first guess was that the fluid may be low, but that is not the case. In fact, I have never had to add any fluid to the clutch master cylinder. I considered bleeding the slave cylinder, but after looking under the truck and consulting with my shop service manual, I realized that there is no bleed valve. The slave cylinder is actually an integral part of the throw-out bearing and is located within the flywheel cover. I see no way to adjust the clutch linkage travel to get a bit more action from my pedal. Has anyone with a similar truck (Mazda or Ford Ranger) had the same problem? Does anyone have any suggestions? I have had the truck since new and no transmission or clutch work has ever been done. I would assume that with this many miles the clutch may be nearing the end of its useful life, but there is no sign of slippage. Thanks
#3
I'll have to wait till I get home to check tolerances in manual, but my experiences with worn clutches seems to be the reverse of what I am experiencing. Usually they start slipping occasionally, then gradually slip more and more, with the clutch pedal releasing near the floorboard as the wear gets worse.