95 Jeep Wrangler Shifting problems
 

Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
then it's fine...

the brake fluid level in the small reservoir was a bit low so I topped
it off with the right stuff and drove for a few days with no change...

I've done a few tests myself and I really don't think it's the clutch
itself, it's not slipping at all or grinding...I've been lurking around
here and it seem either the master or ugh slave cylinder are the big
culprits? Any way to figure which it might be, from what I've
described?

Also somebody mentioned to me that I might have a broken spring in the
pressure plate?

Thanks in advance!

More likely your first diagnosis, a leak and or slave/master cylinder going
bad. Not sure how to tell master vs. slave, but I have seen it to be the
slave most of the time.

--
JimG
80' CJ-7 258 CID, HEI
4.56 Gears, Lock-Right F&R
35" BFG MT on 15x10 Centerlines
D44 Rear, D30 Front. SOA
Dana 300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks
Warn X8000i w/ dual batteries

00' TJ Sport 4.0L, 5sp
4.56 Gears, TrueTrac rear
33" BFG AT on 15x8 Eagle Alloys
D35 Rear, D30 Front. 3" Suspension Lift

wrote in message ...
> Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
> that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
> manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
> sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
> into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
> then it's fine...
>
> the brake fluid level in the small reservoir was a bit low so I topped
> it off with the right stuff and drove for a few days with no change...
>
> I've done a few tests myself and I really don't think it's the clutch
> itself, it's not slipping at all or grinding...I've been lurking around
> here and it seem either the master or ugh slave cylinder are the big
> culprits? Any way to figure which it might be, from what I've
> described?
>
> Also somebody mentioned to me that I might have a broken spring in the
> pressure plate?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>

Not being able to get it out of gear easily tells me it's in the
release mechanism: http://www.billhughes.com/clutchControl.jpg The brake
fluid has a distinctive smell, so I would wipe the area inside the cab
where the push rod goes through and the bottom of the bellhousing and
smell. Although many parts stores only sell the master, slave assemble
as a unit.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O


wrote:
>
> Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
> that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
> manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
> sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
> into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
> then it's fine...
>
> the brake fluid level in the small reservoir was a bit low so I topped
> it off with the right stuff and drove for a few days with no change...
>
> I've done a few tests myself and I really don't think it's the clutch
> itself, it's not slipping at all or grinding...I've been lurking around
> here and it seem either the master or ugh slave cylinder are the big
> culprits? Any way to figure which it might be, from what I've
> described?
>
> Also somebody mentioned to me that I might have a broken spring in the
> pressure plate?
>
> Thanks in advance!

Letting up on the clutch in neutral is also double clutching which can
let a low fluid or water contaminated tranny shift. That implies the
syncros aren't spinning up.

I would be checking the fluid first anyway just to make sure it is
topped up and doesn't look like a milkshake. They get water in them
easy if you go too deep off road, the tranny has no vent hose only a
button.

After that, you get into pressure plate issues or even loose trannys or
hydraulics....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

wrote:
>
> Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
> that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
> manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
> sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
> into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
> then it's fine...
>
> the brake fluid level in the small reservoir was a bit low so I topped
> it off with the right stuff and drove for a few days with no change...
>
> I've done a few tests myself and I really don't think it's the clutch
> itself, it's not slipping at all or grinding...I've been lurking around
> here and it seem either the master or ugh slave cylinder are the big
> culprits? Any way to figure which it might be, from what I've
> described?
>
> Also somebody mentioned to me that I might have a broken spring in the
> pressure plate?
>
> Thanks in advance!

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
> that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
> manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
> sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
> into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
> then it's fine...
>

Without reading another word, you have troubles withthe Clutch Master
Cylinder.

The clutch and the brakes use similar systems, lets' talk about brakes
because youhave probably experienced this before. If you are waiting at a
light with your foot on the brake pedal, you might notice your foot slowly
sinks towards the carpet. This means the Brake Master Cylinder is failing.
The MC has a couple of chambers, and has a piston and a variety of internal
seals. Over time, these seals begin to fail, and you notice this as your
foot sinking at the stop sign or traffic light. The recovery mode is to pump
the brake pedal.

Now the clutch. The clutch uses a hydraulic system that is very similar,
perhaps identical, to that which is used for the brakes. The difference is
that you hold your foot on the floor when youuse the clutch, but there is a
HUGE spring inside the clutch that is pushing back at you. When the MC fails
in the clutch, your experience is that the car may begin to creep if you
hold the clutch depressed for a very ling traffic light and the transmission
is in gear. What you do notice is that if you hold the clutch depressed in N
while waiting for the green light, you will not be able to select 1 when the
light turns green. This is because the trans is already moving and the gears
will not mesh. The recover mode is to pump the clutch pedal a few times.

The seals inside the MC (either the brakes or the clutch) can fail in such a
way that the operating pressure is lost, but no fluid leaks to the outside.
There is a slave culinder in the clutch, roughly equivelent to the brake
cylinders (or pistons in the instance of disc brakes). When the slave
cylinders leak, they leak to the outside and the leaking is eventually
visible, and frequently catastrophic. When the MC fails, it needs attention,
but I can not recall any instance of catastrophic failure where the clutch
or brakes fail completely without warning. That is the good news. The bad
news is, you can't ignore repairs. Well, you can ignore repairs, but I would
appreciate it if you stay in front of me if that happens.

Mike! He has described a classic Clutch Master Cylinder failure, hasn't he?
In which case, the fluid might not be low.




"Mike Romain" > wrote in message
...
> Letting up on the clutch in neutral is also double clutching which can
> let a low fluid or water contaminated tranny shift. That implies the
> syncros aren't spinning up.
>
> I would be checking the fluid first anyway just to make sure it is
> topped up and doesn't look like a milkshake. They get water in them
> easy if you go too deep off road, the tranny has no vent hose only a
> button.
>
> After that, you get into pressure plate issues or even loose trannys or
> hydraulics....
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> wrote:
>>
>> Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
>> that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
>> manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
>> sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
>> into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
>> then it's fine...
>>
>> the brake fluid level in the small reservoir was a bit low so I topped
>> it off with the right stuff and drove for a few days with no change...
>>
>> I've done a few tests myself and I really don't think it's the clutch
>> itself, it's not slipping at all or grinding...I've been lurking around
>> here and it seem either the master or ugh slave cylinder are the big
>> culprits? Any way to figure which it might be, from what I've
>> described?
>>
>> Also somebody mentioned to me that I might have a broken spring in the
>> pressure plate?
>>
>> Thanks in advance!

He could be.

Someone else just had a similar issue and the tranny was loose from the
engine.....

Checking fluids first is easy and free too.....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
> Mike! He has described a classic Clutch Master Cylinder failure, hasn't he?
> In which case, the fluid might not be low.
>
> "Mike Romain" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Letting up on the clutch in neutral is also double clutching which can
> > let a low fluid or water contaminated tranny shift. That implies the
> > syncros aren't spinning up.
> >
> > I would be checking the fluid first anyway just to make sure it is
> > topped up and doesn't look like a milkshake. They get water in them
> > easy if you go too deep off road, the tranny has no vent hose only a
> > button.
> >
> > After that, you get into pressure plate issues or even loose trannys or
> > hydraulics....
> >
> > Mike
> > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a problem
> >> that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
> >> manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
> >> sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
> >> into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
> >> then it's fine...
> >>
> >> the brake fluid level in the small reservoir was a bit low so I topped
> >> it off with the right stuff and drove for a few days with no change...
> >>
> >> I've done a few tests myself and I really don't think it's the clutch
> >> itself, it's not slipping at all or grinding...I've been lurking around
> >> here and it seem either the master or ugh slave cylinder are the big
> >> culprits? Any way to figure which it might be, from what I've
> >> described?
> >>
> >> Also somebody mentioned to me that I might have a broken spring in the
> >> pressure plate?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance!

Jeff Strickland wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Hello gentlemen I'm hoping somebody can give some insight to a
problem
> > that started about a month ago...I have a 95 wrangler 4.0 5-speed
> > manual transmission with 105K and all of the sudden the clutch is
> > sticking in gear sometimes (mostly first) amd sometimes I can't get
> > into gear unless I let up on the clutch first, or pump it once, and
> > then it's fine...
> >
>
> Without reading another word, you have troubles withthe Clutch Master

> Cylinder.
>
> The clutch and the brakes use similar systems, lets' talk about
brakes
> because youhave probably experienced this before. If you are waiting
at a
> light with your foot on the brake pedal, you might notice your foot
slowly
> sinks towards the carpet. This means the Brake Master Cylinder is
failing.
> The MC has a couple of chambers, and has a piston and a variety of
internal
> seals. Over time, these seals begin to fail, and you notice this as
your
> foot sinking at the stop sign or traffic light. The recovery mode is
to pump
> the brake pedal.
>
> Now the clutch. The clutch uses a hydraulic system that is very
similar,
> perhaps identical, to that which is used for the brakes. The
difference is
> that you hold your foot on the floor when youuse the clutch, but
there is a
> HUGE spring inside the clutch that is pushing back at you. When the
MC fails
> in the clutch, your experience is that the car may begin to creep if
you
> hold the clutch depressed for a very ling traffic light and the
transmission
> is in gear. What you do notice is that if you hold the clutch
depressed in N
> while waiting for the green light, you will not be able to select 1
when the
> light turns green. This is because the trans is already moving and
the gears
> will not mesh. The recover mode is to pump the clutch pedal a few
times.
>
> The seals inside the MC (either the brakes or the clutch) can fail in
such a
> way that the operating pressure is lost, but no fluid leaks to the
outside.
> There is a slave culinder in the clutch, roughly equivelent to the
brake
> cylinders (or pistons in the instance of disc brakes). When the slave

> cylinders leak, they leak to the outside and the leaking is
eventually
> visible, and frequently catastrophic. When the MC fails, it needs
attention,
> but I can not recall any instance of catastrophic failure where the
clutch
> or brakes fail completely without warning. That is the good news. The
bad
> news is, you can't ignore repairs. Well, you can ignore repairs, but
I would
> appreciate it if you stay in front of me if that happens.





Thanks guys for all your information!


Hey Jeff! When you said this:

Now the clutch. The clutch uses a hydraulic system that is very
similar,
perhaps identical, to that which is used for the brakes. The difference
is
that you hold your foot on the floor when youuse the clutch, but there
is a
HUGE spring inside the clutch that is pushing back at you. When the MC
fails
in the clutch, your experience is that the car may begin to creep if
you
hold the clutch depressed for a very ling traffic light and the
transmission
is in gear. What you do notice is that if you hold the clutch depressed
in N
while waiting for the green light, you will not be able to select 1
when the
light turns green. This is because the trans is already moving and the
gears
will not mesh. The recover mode is to pump the clutch pedal a few
times.

That is definitely what is happening, and also, like before when you
mentioned the brake slowly moving closer to the floor when your foot is
on it, this also happens with the clutch, it sinks and then if you pump
it the pressure comes back...so I guess I know what to do!
thanks again!
Angelo

>
> Thanks guys for all your information!
>
>
> Hey Jeff! When you said this:
>
> Now the clutch. The clutch uses a hydraulic system that is very
> similar,
> perhaps identical, to that which is used for the brakes. The difference
> is
> that you hold your foot on the floor when youuse the clutch, but there
> is a
> HUGE spring inside the clutch that is pushing back at you. When the MC
> fails
> in the clutch, your experience is that the car may begin to creep if
> you
> hold the clutch depressed for a very ling traffic light and the
> transmission
> is in gear. What you do notice is that if you hold the clutch depressed
> in N
> while waiting for the green light, you will not be able to select 1
> when the
> light turns green. This is because the trans is already moving and the
> gears
> will not mesh. The recover mode is to pump the clutch pedal a few
> times.
>
> That is definitely what is happening, and also, like before when you
> mentioned the brake slowly moving closer to the floor when your foot is
> on it, this also happens with the clutch, it sinks and then if you pump
> it the pressure comes back...so I guess I know what to do!
> thanks again!
> Angelo
>

Bingo.

To be completely safe and sure of your diagnosis (or mine if you prefer to
pin it on me), you should go ahead and check that the trans fluid is full. I
suspect it is, but even if it isn't, it generally contributes to grinding
between gears more than prohibitting selecting 1st.

Pumping the pedals and having that bring them back into service means the MC
is toast.

Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >
> > Thanks guys for all your information!
> >
> >
> > Hey Jeff! When you said this:
> >
> > Now the clutch. The clutch uses a hydraulic system that is very
> > similar,
> > perhaps identical, to that which is used for the brakes. The
difference
> > is
> > that you hold your foot on the floor when youuse the clutch, but
there
> > is a
> > HUGE spring inside the clutch that is pushing back at you. When the
MC
> > fails
> > in the clutch, your experience is that the car may begin to creep
if
> > you
> > hold the clutch depressed for a very ling traffic light and the
> > transmission
> > is in gear. What you do notice is that if you hold the clutch
depressed
> > in N
> > while waiting for the green light, you will not be able to select 1
> > when the
> > light turns green. This is because the trans is already moving and
the
> > gears
> > will not mesh. The recover mode is to pump the clutch pedal a few
> > times.
> >
> > That is definitely what is happening, and also, like before when
you
> > mentioned the brake slowly moving closer to the floor when your
foot is
> > on it, this also happens with the clutch, it sinks and then if you
pump
> > it the pressure comes back...so I guess I know what to do!
> > thanks again!
> > Angelo
> >
>
> Bingo.
>
> To be completely safe and sure of your diagnosis (or mine if you
prefer to
> pin it on me), you should go ahead and check that the trans fluid is
full. I
> suspect it is, but even if it isn't, it generally contributes to
grinding
> between gears more than prohibitting selecting 1st.
>
> Pumping the pedals and having that bring them back into service means
the MC
> is toast.



Thanks again mate!