clutch slipping, recommendations?

[Chrome_Rush]

The clutch is starting to slip in my 91 2wd. Anybody have any advice to make the job easier, and parts I should also replace while I'm in there? Any special tools I may need and does anybody recommend a certain clutch kit?

 

[Explorin'VA]

The LUK clutch kit is supposed to be good. It's comes with a pilot bearing, clutch disk, pressure plate, and clutch alignment tool. You will need to replace the slave cylinder and throwout bearing while you're in there as well as inspect the flywheel for damage. A transmission jack will make things a lot easier.

 

[2stroke]

I would replace the slave cylinder, throw out bearing, and engine rear main seal. One tool worth its weight in gold is a long extension. I'm talking about 4'. It is make getting the top transmission bolt easy.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Alright I have used luk clutch sets before. They seem to be pretty high quality. I don't really see anything in the way of a heavy duty clutch kit, so I guess I will probably go with that. I know I'm going to need a flywheel, it's had a lot of clutch chatter since I've owned it unless you get it going just right, so I know the flywheel has hot spots. I'm a little surprised a new throw out bearing wouldn't cone with the clutch set. Every set I've bought had one. I have never worked on anything g with a hydraulic clutch, they were all cable driven, how exactly do I change the slave cylinder and how do I bleed it? Also are there any lines I need to disconnect from the transmission before I drop it?

I have a few floor jacks I can lower it and a ton of extensions I can use to make a long one. As long as there are no special disconnect tools for the hydraulic lines I'm good tool wise. So it looks like I need a slave cylinder, a flywheel, and a clutch kit, also a throw out bearing if the kit doesn't have one. I've also never done one that needed a sperate pilot bearing, they always came installed already, anything g special I need to do there? I will be doing this in my driveway, so I don't want it down very long, I want to make sure I have everything g I need and k ow what I'm doing before I start.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Oh and how difficult is the rear main seal? I believe it does have a slight leak so I would like to replace it also if it isn't to much of a pain.

 

[Explorin'VA]

A new throwout bearing does come with the kit, but I think it's the old style. The new slave cylinder should come with a throwout bearing already attached. The slave has two bolts that hold it in the bellhousing. It will come with a tool for removing the hydraulic line from the old slave but it's only held in by a clip that can pried apart easily with your hand and the line comes out. Unbolt the master cylinder from the firewall, make sure the rod on your clutch pedal is disconnected and turn the master cylinder upside down and gravity bleed the system, making sure to keep the reservoir full. That should get your clutch pressure back. You'll want to disconnect the reverse light switch and the neutral sensor on the tranmission, and the wires and speedo cable from the transfer case. You'll also have to remove the transmission crossmember, transfer case skidplate, driveshafts and probably your exhaust from the y-pipe back. I've never replace the rear main, but you can remove the old one with sheet metal screws by prying it out and tap the new one in place with something of the same diameter as the seal, making sure it sits properly, which is explained in the repair manual.

Edit: I think your 91 has the old style slave cylinder so the throwout bearing that comes in the LUK kit will work for you. The hydraulic line fittings may be different between the early and late style slaves.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Alright. It's 2wd so no transfer case and only one axle. This is probably also a good time to replace the speedo cable since my speedo bounces around quite a bit (I'm guessing from it sitting for 4 years before I bought it) it also needs a brake booster. Any particular brand of slave cylinder to stay away from? LUK makes one and I know their quality is pretty good. The original has lasted 244k miles I would hate to throw a cheap one in and have it fail. I'm assuming the oil pan at least would need to be unbolted to replace the rear main seal, hopefully that's it.

 

[Explorin'VA]

I would only suggest using a ford slave. The cheap ones have a lifetime warranty but that's because they will fail. And you just need to remove the flywheel to access the rear main seal.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Ok, well I need to replace the flywheel anyways so no big deal, usually you need to at least loosen up the oil pan to swap a rear main, but apparently not on this. Less work the better lol.

 

[Jason94sport]

I would only suggest using a ford slave. The cheap ones have a lifetime warranty but that's because they will fail. And you just need to remove the flywheel to access the rear main seal.

X2
They also have the bearing on them
LUK clutch
Rear main seal
You may or may not have a issue with the Y-pipe. I know some have been able to replace the clutch with it attached...I have never seen this done. The problem is at the bolts to the headers. They may sheer right off. I have seen people cut the Y-pipe & weld it back into place as an alternative.

time to replace the speedo cable since my speedo bounces around quite a bit

Your problem is more likely the worn gear in the output section of the trans. There's a thread somewhere on that. Most replace the cable & still have the problem....I did 3 times.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Ok so new speed sensor/gear then. I wonder if I could get one to correct my speedo for the 31" tires. I think a gear made for an explorer with a 4.10 gear would probably make the speedo dead on again (I have 3.73). I don't really understand why the slave cylinder would have the bearing attached and the kit would come with another one though. Why would I need 2 bearings, and if it's sold as Ana assembly with the bearing, why would the clutch companies waste the money to include one?

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Also I'm pretty sure the y pipe bolts will all just snap, do they thread into either the y pipe or the exhaust manifolds or do they just go through them with a nut on one side and the bolt head on the other? If I'm going to break bolts off in either the y pipe or manifolds I want to have new parts ready to replace the old ones, or if it's just the bolts that will need replacing I need to at least have those on hand. I ask this because I just had to pull an exhaust manifold on my gmc truck and all 3 bolts from the y pipe snapped. Since on that truck the bolts thread into the exhaust manifold I now have to replace the exhaust manifold.

 

[Explorin'VA]

I cut off the section of the y pipe where it crosses under the transmission because the bolts to the manifold were giving me trouble. I just went through all this while swapping transmissions. I still have to get someone to weld the pipe back on.

 

[2stroke]

I also had to cut the exhaust. Most vehicles are designed to pull straight back, and down to remove the tranny. Leave it to Ford to design around it so it wont fit. If its been out before, hopefully someone beat the body seam flat, and removed some of the heat shielding. If thats the case, you should be able to jack up the front, and tilt the back of the tranny down and angle it out. I would imagine it wouldn't be bad at all on a car lift. Anyway, I had a chunk of 2" ID pipe (Its either 2" or 2.25") and I cut out a section of my pipe. When all done, I slid that new pipe over the chunk I cut out, and welded it on with a wire feed welder. It turned out great, with no leak at the weld. What did happen though, is it turned the connection at the exhaust manifold a bit, and caused a leak. I was able to tighten that bold enough to get it to go away. I've never ordered a whole clutch kit, so I couldn't tell you if it comes with a throwout bearing. I know the slave cylinders do. Why do you want the whole clutch kit any way? If it works fine now, just get a new friction disk, and have your flywheel resurfaced.

 

[Spoofed]

I tried the get the tranny off my 4.0 last week with the exhaust connected and there just wasn't enough room, then I had to remove it with the tranny sitting on stands.

The first time I took it down (about a year ago) the exhaust bolts were a real ***** to get off. Lots of penetrating lube and heat and I was able to get them off cleanly using an impact and a whole lotta elbow grease.

I've heard of people drilling out the bolts and the threads after they snap and replacing them with a regular nut and bolt setup.

Might be easier to just cut it and have it welded for a few bucks if they are too hard to get out.

 

[Spoofed]

And yeah the bolts thread into the manifolds.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

I was afraid of the bolts being threaded into the manifold, I may just buy the pacesetter headers and y pipe setup, I know those bolts are going to break. Those bolts have been in since 91 in michigan, they aren't going to come out. When your used to dealing with older vehicles in the rust belt you just assume your going to snap bolts, because you are going to. As far as the clutch kit, I still don't understand why all of them come with a throw out bearing if the new slave cylinder comes with it as well. Unless there was a redesign after 91 and your all talking about different parts. As for why I would buy a whole clutch kit and a new flywheel instead of just a new friction disk and resurfacing the flywheel, it's because I don't want to drop the tranny again. Why would anyone open it up and NOT replace all the wear items. Unless your unemployed and have more time then money it just doesn't make sense. I don't know anyone who would not replace the whole clutch kit, especially with a pressure plate with 244k miles. Who in their right mind would do all that work and put a worn out pressure plate back on. As for the flywheel, it's been severely overheated at some point and has hot spots a using clutch chatter. Those hot spots actually harden the flywheel in those spots which is what causes the clutch chatter. To get ride of that kind of damage it would ha e to be machined down so much there wouldn't be enough material left on it, and if it isn't cut down enough your still going to have those hardened spots and your brand new clutch is going to chatter.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

Also does anyone have an idea what they call the speedometer drive gear. I can't seem to locate it, went through every section on rock auto and even auto zone website and can't find anything.

 

[Spoofed]

I've never seen the use in resurfacing a flywheel. For one thing, you can get aa new one for what 99% of shops are gonna charge for that service. Second, resurfacing could cause the pressue plate not to fully engage. As it is, the plate is only pushed down like 3/8" at the most. Resurfacing means the plate won't be fully pressing down onto the flywheel and it's just gonna wear it out faster.

Yeah I'm with you on this, you're replacing the clutch might as well replace everything down to the slave.

And yeah, my clutch kit and slave cylinder both came with a throw out bearing and my clutch kit came with the pressure plate so I'm not sure what people are going on about in here.