Sticks in gear, enough that it's crippling

[drcomanche]

Ok, sometimes when I'm driving it sticks in a gear. This has only happened with reverse and first gear so far, but when it does, it is either stuck solid in a gear(like reverse) or, as was the case today, when I shifted to neutral and tried to go to first it just wouldn't go, and when I tried to put it in reverse, it just grinded the gears. I'm really having some difficulty getting it mobile like this, and it is frustratingly annoying when it happens. It happens most frequently when I'm backing out of my driveway, it just gets stuck in reverse and I can't get it out of gear.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mvusse]

Sounds like your clutch is gone.

[drcomanche]

So what should I buy for it? Is it just a clutch kit change or should I look at the master or slave cylinder? Of all the tech experience I have, transmissions are one thing that is a complete shot in the dark.

[Pete M]

when that happened to me in my 88, it was low on gear oil.

[drcomanche]

gear oil as in the diff gears? Or the transmission? The Transmission has plenty of fluid and absolutely no leaks.

[Pete M]

wait a sec... auto or manual?

[drcomanche]

Manual

[Pete M]

then that's gear oil inside. :thumbsup: (though technically not all manuals use gear oil. chrysler's latest change in requirements for the ax-15 calls for engine oil: 10w40 I think.) when did you last check the level? when did you last bleed the brake fluid in the clutch line? does it stick in gear all the time, or only with the engine running?

[drcomanche]

Ok. I've checked the level, and it is still max. I'm not sure when it was last bled. And it only does it while running. It can go into gear fine when it's off.

[64 Cheyenne]

Is the clutch master cylinder full?

[Pete M]

I would try bleeding the clutch system then.

[drcomanche]

I'm not sure how to tell if the clutch master cylinder is full or not. As for bleeding the clutch, is there a write up for it on here somewhere?

[carnuck]

Pop the top to see if t has fluid in it.

[shawn]

same symptoms as my '91. slave cylinder gone. find out if it's internal or external.

[drcomanche]

The drivetrain is an unaltered 94 Cherokee AX 15 I6. I'm not sure when they went to external slaves.

 

Pop the top to see if t has fluid in it.

 

If by pop the top, you mean the plastic cap in the engine bay, than it's still full. Pardon my inexperience in this area of the truck. Transmissions are not one of my practiced areas.

 

And I have to amend a previous statement, it sometimes doesn't like to go into a gear when it's off. Only sometimes though.

[drcomanche]

So, another symptom today. As I cam to a stop for a right turn, I couldnt lift the peddle up at all before it solidly engaged the gear. It doesnt have the slack it did before. don't know if this helps diagnose the problem but I figured ide throw it out there.

 

And for reference, it is an external slave.

[shawn]

I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like you should / could just get a whole unit off of a junk xj and bolt it right in. i took the master and slave out of my parts xj in one unit ( no fluid loss) . i havent done the bolting in part yet but I'm assuming that if you do it this way there is no hassels with bleeding or anything like that. - just make sure u get one that works.

maybe someone with a bit more experience could chime-in and confirm this though.

[drcomanche]

If I could tie threads together I would. A few days ago, when I posted this thread, I posted another about it stalling out at a light.

 

Today, I figured out that both of these problems are the same. The longer I hold down the clutch pedal, the lower the rpms get, until the gear engages and stalls. Lifting my foot after that, there is surprisingly little push back up. I let up and pushed it all the way in, then let up again, and it returned to normal. My pedal is becoming less and less useful, and I find myself stalling more and more during my daily travel. Something has got to be failing, pressure wise for this to happen.

 

Does this clarify my problem to anybody?

[drcomanche]

And, one more amendment that upsets me, after a second more detailed look, I see it's an internal slave... :headpop: Anybody got a bellhousing for external? :brows: Might as well get it done now and save time later. And also, is there a writeup for this? Or is it just a bolt on and go thing?

[Pete M]

sounds like it could be your master is losing pressure internally (i.e. the pressure is escaping past the seal). assuming it's not just an air bubble. is there any change if you biskly pump the clutch peddle a few times?

[drcomanche]

Yes, actually. I have to do it on occasion to get it back to where it was. But most of the time, it just sticks. When it's stuck in gear, no amount of pumping gets it to work.

[Pete M]

if it were my truck, I would try bleeding, and failing that, replacing the master. but then again, I've been able to drive a truck around with no clutch use what so ever. for every speed/engine rpm there's a sweet spot where the clutch is unnecessary.

[cmichaelvincent]

I just had this problem last month in my 88.

 

Internal slave/ Pukey 5 spd.

 

What actually caused the sticking and eventual failure for me was the spring in the master cylinder breaking in two. I did a full slave/master replacement and solved the problem, as the slave was definitely on its way out as well.

[drcomanche]

I'm just going to completely reoutfit the system, and switch everything over to an external slave, so I can avoid further problems in the future. I figure it's about time, and I've found a decent setup, with everything I need, for about 200, including the master and slave cylinders.

[Pete M]

for what it's worth, the only advantage that the external has over the internal is: it's easier to fix when it fails. they don't last any longer or are really any more reliable (not including the after market internals, which seem to be hit or miss with early failures. factory parts are the way to go there.)