Practice pays off! (long)

   / Practice pays off! (long) #1  

turnkey4099

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2002
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4,387
Location
SE Wa
I have always driven manual transmission PUs. Current is a 1989 F150 for firewood hauling (and other chores). I loaded up this morning to go cut wood. Got about 10 miles from home on a back road, met stop sign, went to shift to 3rd (who stops on such roads?), 'snap' and clutch falls to the floor. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Killed PU at the stop sign, lifted hood...ahuh...yep, that's the motor, there's the reservoir...why am I looking in here? If I did find the broken linkage I have nothing to repair it with.

Okay. I have always played at times with clutchless shifting, now is where it will count IF I can get this thing started considering that the clutch interlock works off the clutch pedal.

Into 1st, a few cranks and moving. 2nd, 3rd rough shifts but at least shifting. Teh ruogh sifting smoothed out with more driving. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Now to get back to the house. Can't go back the way I came as that would put me on the wrong side of the state highway when I get to the house and I do NOT want to have to stop on an uphill stretch.

Mental image of back country roads showed only one route. That involved a cross road that is 1 lane dirt and it has been WET around here.

Went all right except I had turned the wrong way at a paved highway and had to go up the road 3 miles to a gravel pit so I could turn around without stopping. Did that. Then came the dirt track - great, looks like fresh grading, very rough but not muddy. Started up it and met the cursed grader at the intersecion I needed. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Couldn't continue on so had to take the right fork which led me right back where I came from including the need to turn around in the gravel pit again.

Next pass at the dirt track, the grader was out of the way. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gifOnly one sweat left, the stop sign on the heavy traffic state highway. Decided to take a chance and be moving fairly well in 3rd when I got there...yep, I got a gap. Miracles do happen once in awhile.

Did all right right into my drive but I sorta forgot by that time that my stopping was a bit different. Came to a jerking, bucking stop just before impacting the garage. Took me almost an hour to get back to the house.

Am I ever glad that I had played with clutchless shifting over the years.

Harry K
 
   / Practice pays off! (long) #2  
Harry,
Good thing no one saw you going around in circles. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you haven't found the problem yet, look for this. Once in while there is a clip that can come off. There is a rod that comes through the firewall into the cab. The rod has an eye on the end. The eye slips over a pin on the bar going down to the clutch pedal. There is a little clip that goes through the pin. I bet the clip is gone and the eye has come off . I have seen it happen more than once.
 
   / Practice pays off! (long) #3  
I experienced the same thing with my parents VW van when I was a teenager. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Everytime I had to come to a stop, I'd kill the engine and then shift it into first gear. When it was time to get moving again I'd crank the engine (in gear) and get going. Thank goodness that van had a strong starter.
 
   / Practice pays off! (long)
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Stopped by the repair place yesterday. They hadn't started on it but had done a quick inspection.

The linkage at the slave cylinder came off which caused the slave piston to "pop out". It is just hanging down now. They will be getting to it and let me know what it will take to fix. I was hoping it was only the linkage on the master cylinder.

Glad I now longer have to do my own 'wrenching' not that I could crawl around under rigs anymore anyhow.

Harry K
 
 
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