'97 Ranger, clutch hydraulics, pedal does not move.
 

Hi guys:

We have a '97 Mazda B2300, same as Ranger 2.3. I had trouble with the clutch, it did not move with the pedal as I released the pedal, then all of a sudden it made a jack rabbit start. Not safe. I did some research and learned this is likely the slave cylinder. What fun. I ended up replacing the slave cylinder and the master cylinder. While still on the jack stands I started the engine and shifted through the gears and it seemed fine. I took the truck off the stands and backed out of the drive way, put it in first and started off slowly. I wanted to shift into 2 and the clutch pedal was locked. I could not press it 1mm. In fact I even bent the pedal some.

The question is what went wrong? Do I have to pull the tranny again?
Any help is appreciated!

Hi Bluewind!
I know you know this, but sometimes we get so involved we just forget.
If you loosened the line to the slave at the master , what do you get? We are just trying to isolate the area to before the slave or at the slave. There have been problems with the line/hose to the slave, might help to pin down the area of the problem. What do you think?

Hi Hanky! I was hoping you'd see my post.

I think this is exactly what I need to look at. This set up is such a screwball design that it will drive the hobbyist nuts. It supposed to be a Quick Disconnect, but neither is it quick nor does it disconnect. I had to cut the hose off to get the tranny out and ordered a new master cylinder (a case of " might as well"). You supposed to push that line into the receiver at the slave cylinder. But there is no positive feed back whether the line is seated correctly and the line is so smooth that you don't get a good grip on it. I'll wrap it with sand paper for better grip when I get to it later this morning. I bet that's it.

I'll let you know how it went later today.

Bingo, the Quick Disconnect came apart. Now you would think it is a easy as ticking it in. but that would be too easy. There is a small spring that looks like a comb with a back and open tines. It fell out before I could ascertain which side goes in first: the tines or the back? I will have to find out before I continue.

Reader, if you know please reply. TIA

I found a picture on the Ford Ranger forum. The spring sits inside the slave's connector with the tines in first.

http://www.swaptastic.net/ls1_miata/...8Custom%29.JPG

HELP, PLEASE!!!!

Desperation sets in. I put the spring in place just the way it appears in the picture. I push the male connector in and I don't get it to seat properly. When I think it is in deep enough and pull back it comes out. I even managed to put some leverage on it with a 10mm open wrench behind the male part and a pry bar against the cabin structure. It will not go deeper.

There must be a trick to this or one of the parts is out of specification. What's the trick?

Sometimes different manufacturer's parts will not mate properly if at all. You may wind up getting the slave fitting from the same place you purchased the clutch MC and hose.
You might be able to see a difference between the two if you still have the old hose you needed to cut. The system is what it is , but when different manufacturers make replacement parts to their own specs so you need to purchase the entire set up, well we don't need to go there, but I'm sure you have seen this before with other parts.

I think you are correct, Hanky. I bought an LuK master and a Dorman slave. I actually never ran into such a problem. It makes perfectly sense, though. I think I will be getting a Dorman master.
I will report back.
Thanks and all the best!
Bluewind

I wish I had good news to report. The Dorman master cylinder has arrived and I have the same problem: the QD does not hold onto the male part. The spring is in place with the fingers pointing in, the male part can be pushed in so the check valve opens. I pull back to make sure it stays put and it disconnects.

Then I found this on the Ranger forum:
"In the FWIW department, if yours is anything like that on a Bronco II, I think the problem is you are not connecting it correctly the first time. I would hazard a guess you are connecting it with the bleeder screw shut.

Open the bleeder screw, push the clutch pedal in and keep it there with a stick, and push the connectors together. You should get a soild click and not be able to pull it apart for nothing with your hands.

What is happening is without the bleeder open it is next to impossible to push the line in against the pressure and you get a false latch. Then later when the truck is bouncing around and the frame is pulling from the drivetrain, the connection wiggles/pulls apart."

And that did not work either for me.

There is a good possibility the fingers on the retainer may have been distorted so it will not lock the fingers on the fitting going into the slave fitting. What I would suggest is to remove the fitting from the slave and with it in your hands try to insert the male into the slave fitting . Right then and there if it goes in solidly and you hear it lock you know it's locked. You will need a special tool to open the connection, which without it, the parts get distorted and cannot lock as deigned.