Need Technical help! 1999 Ranger, 3.0, 5 speed manual transmission. Morning drive with cold engine and it shifts great. 30 minutes into drive time... at a stop sign, from neutral, step on clutch pedal and can not get into gear. I must force shifter into 4th or reverse to then get it back into 1st gear. Sometimes it "locks" in 1st and creeps forward with clutch pedal depressed so I have to "pop the clutch" slightly to release it or if I shut the engine off and restart it I can get it into gear. Recently had a new pressure plate, slave cylinder, clutch and clutch master cylinder installed. Then installed a 2nd slave cylinder, bled out system, still the same problem. Seems to occur when everything is up to running temperature. Not sure if something is binding in the pressure plate or if it's a transmission issue? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

It could be what you suspect, but it does sound like your are losing pressure from the clutch master cyl once it gets warm. It looks like the only way to make sure would be to observe the release action by looking at the disc and pressure plate when the clutch is depressed after it warms up.

 

Thanks Hanky. Throw out travel seems to be the same, cold and hot temps. Pressure Plate is a Luk self adjusting type. I believe there is an adjusting ring that needs to be set on it prior to installation, perhaps the mechanic didn't know to do that? Not sure if the original Ranger p.p. was the conventional diaphragm type. If so, I may install the conventional type myself or if I can adjust the integrated ring and it holds I'll go that route. Thanks again for your input.

 

It was the pressure plate all along!

 

Thanks for the update.