Intermittant Grinding Clutch

Ranger2 · #1 05-31-2010, 10:58 PM

I just picked up a '94 Ranger with 157K miles. While holding the clutch in for any period of time (either stopped and idling or downshifting) , a loud grinding sound can be heard intermittantly. No rhyme nor reason as to when. Being hot or cold does not seem to have any effect. When it's there, I have to grind it into gear and when it's not, it shifts smoothly. The clutch pedal does not feel soft and seems to engage at about the right position. The clutch fluid level is full and clean . Could it be the throwout bearing?

I'm not real experienced with manual transmissions and clutches so any comments/recommendations would be very appreciated.

Jimbo · #2 06-01-2010, 04:18 AM

I'd guess throwout bearing.....I had the same thing/symptoms on my mustang and thats what it was

Ranger2 · #3 06-01-2010, 08:25 PM

Thanks Jimbo. I heard today that it also might be a slave cylinder because when a throwout bearing goes, you hear it all of the time. Did you replace the slave cylinder when you replaced the throwout bearing in your Mustang?

Jimbo · #4 06-02-2010, 03:44 AM

Nope....just the bearing, pressure plate and clutch disc.....my wife was driving it when the bearing completely failed.

But I do remember the noise as it progressed. Started intermittently and became more steady (whenever pressure on clutch pedal).

Good luck....let me know what happens.

Coleosis · #5 06-02-2010, 04:28 AM

is it in all your gears? mine didnt do that in 1st and 2cd (no grind but iw would be hard to shift into first)...but 3rd 4th and reverse would grind...5th was my only good gear...since replacing the slave cylinder that came with a new throwout bearing and master cylinder it shifts great except for third and 4th...which we believe are the syncros...So if the throwout bearing/slave cylinder doesnt help, look into the syncros.

Ranger2 · #6 06-02-2010, 09:26 AM

Coleosis ... no noise or problem while accelerating and shifting through the gears but once I start to decelerate and downshift (clutch is depressed for a longer period of time), the grinding returns and as I mentioned in the earlier post, anytime I have the pedal depressed for something longer than it takes to shift gears. At first I thought it might be the synchro because I only noticed it downshifting into second, but now it is more frequent.

Coleosis · #7 06-05-2010, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger2

Coleosis ... no noise or problem while accelerating and shifting through the gears but once I start to decelerate and downshift (clutch is depressed for a longer period of time), the grinding returns and as I mentioned in the earlier post, anytime I have the pedal depressed for something longer than it takes to shift gears. At first I thought it might be the synchro because I only noticed it downshifting into second, but now it is more frequent.

mine grinded (real low pitched) when the clutch wasnt pressed in, couldnt really hear it unless the radio was off...I could barely upshift through third and fourth...never even thought about trying to downshift, I knew that would be out of the question. I did try to downshift when getting off the highway today...grinded (tried to go into 4th at 50mph and 3rd at 35mph, didnt make it in either gear because I backed out as soon as I heard loud grinding). Im pretty sure I need new syncros. Cant wait to strip the engine, trans, rearend, and every piece of fucking wire out of this truck and redo everything with a 5.0