M5R1 Won't go into gear

[JayT]

2003 Ranger, 2.3L engine, 2 wheel drive, with manual 5 speed.

I cannot shift my transmission into gear with the engine on. Shift lever moves into gear slots with engine off.

Here is how the problem developed. A few days ago I noticed a light clattering as I eased out the clutch into first gear. I could not hear it while underway in gear or shifting into other gears. It sounded like the noise a loose heat shield makes. I was going to look into that as soon as the weather warmed up.

Today I am driving, and 1 mile from home it gets harder to shift, and by the time I make it home I have to coast into the driveway in neutral. First thing I checked was the fluid. It was full, a bit dark, but had that fresh smell.

Ok, just checked again after about 30 minutes. I can shift into gear with engine off, start the engine and release the clutch and start off normally, but shifting was still difficult, sort of like I had to hunt for the shift slot.

What could be wrong? How do I check it?

 

[JayT]

Update

Problem may be solved. This is my first manual tranny since the 70s, so I was unfamiliar with the clutch hydraulic system. The reservoir was empty! It took very little fluid to refill it, and it now shifts like normal (short test drive only).

BTW, I found online the advice of filling it to the brim. You should NOT do that. There is as rubber cone inside. Take that out and you will see the fill line (looks like a seam) about halfway down.

 

[Carguy3J]

Problem may be solved. This is my first manual tranny since the 70s, so I was unfamiliar with the clutch hydraulic system. The reservoir was empty! It took very little fluid to refill it, and it now shifts like normal (short test drive only).

BTW, I found online the advice of filling it to the brim. You should NOT do that. There is as rubber cone inside. Take that out and you will see the fill line (looks like a seam) about halfway down.

Umm, no. Problem may be DIAGNOSED/LOCATED, NOT SOLVED.

You most likely have a bad slave cylinder. That's where your fluid escaped. The seals go bad. Just topping it off may buy you enough time to get home, if you're stranded on the side of the road, but it is not a fix. Don't drive it again, unless you are up for getting stuck, and paying for a tow.

You will need a new slave cylinder, lines and clutch master. It's best to buy the master/lines as a pre-filled unit, to make bleeding slightly easier. It has been suggested that an oem Motorcraft slave/throwout bearing is the only one that will last. So, I would suggest getting one.

While you are in there, it would be a good idea to replace the clutch/flywheel and pilot bearing. Check your rear main seal on the motor as well. Its right there, and cheap, so now would be the time to change it if it's leaking.

You will need to pull the transmission out, as the slave is inside the bell housing. In order to pull the trans, you will need to pull the y-pipe and cat. Have fun with that, if it hasn't been out in a long time.

If your shifter has any slop, this would also be a good time to repair that as well. A shifter bushing kit is about $25 and tightens up the shifter quite a bit.

 

[4pullingGM]

Thats what I was going to have you check first, more than likely, the slave cylinder is leaking.

 

[JayT]

Thanks, guys. That is bad news though. I don't currently have budget or downtime for a proper fix. Is there a way to buy a bit more time?

I did go on a 30 mile round trip in city driving before I read your advice and it shifted great, but when I got home and parked, it would not go into first until I shut the engine off.

 

[acschilling]

I have a 92 with the M5R1 and noticed the same thing started happening to me. Filled the resevoir up and it bought me a couple years actually. Though it'll go. Replaced with a deal on a stage 2 centerforce

 

[4pullingGM]

All you can do is keep the reservoir topped up until you can fix it. Theres no quick/easy fixes that I know of.

 

[Carguy3J]

The thing is, that fluid is going somewhere. That would be inside the bellhousing, right next to the clutch. Its going to get soaked and start slipping eventually. The catalytic converter and exhaust is pretty close too, and brake fluid is highly flammable.

It could leak a little bit for a long time, or it could fail suddenly, while driving in traffic. Sure we'd all like to think we'd react in time, but you could easily lose control, unable to get the truck out of gear, and rear-end someone.

Its not the answer you want to hear, but there is no good "quick fix" or band-aid for this . It needs to be fixed properly.

 

[JayT]

Update

After I first topped off the hydraulic reservoir, I checked it daily. It has not gone down at all. The problem remained intermittent since I first posted, so I observed various conditions. It made no difference if the engine was warm or cold. What did make a difference was when the weather was cold! I would get stuck in neutral several times per day in cold weather (< 32F, but didn't take exact temp readings). Now that the weather has warmed up, it shifts great. You may be wondering what happened when I got stuck in neutral on the road. It seemed to only occur on downshift into first while coming to a stop. When it happened I could quickly turn the engine off, make the shift, restart, and take off in first. This truck has occasionally acted funky about going into first ever since I got in in 2011.

 

[Carguy3J]

After I first topped off the hydraulic reservoir, I checked it daily. It has not gone down at all. The problem remained intermittent since I first posted, so I observed various conditions. It made no difference if the engine was warm or cold. What did make a difference was when the weather was cold! I would get stuck in neutral several times per day in cold weather (< 32F, but didn't take exact temp readings). Now that the weather has warmed up, it shifts great. You may be wondering what happened when I got stuck in neutral on the road. It seemed to only occur on downshift into first while coming to a stop. When it happened I could quickly turn the engine off, make the shift, restart, and take off in first. This truck has occasionally acted funky about going into first ever since I got in in 2011.

So, it sounds like a combination of the slave not fully disengaging the clutch, allowing the input/trans internals to stay "spun up", and the synchros wearing out and no longer being able to "mask" the slave problem. It will probably start making some really nasty noises soon.

 

[JayT]

So, it sounds like a combination of the slave not fully disengaging the clutch, allowing the input/trans internals to stay "spun up", and the synchros wearing out and no longer being able to "mask" the slave problem. It will probably start making some really nasty noises soon.

If the clutch is not disengaging, why does the truck not try to move on level ground with the clutch pedal pushed down? I'm not arguing; just trying to understand what is going on.

 

[PopRichie77]

When in gear and the clutch is pressed the weight of the truck is enough to prevent movement, but as soon as you go thru neutral there is enough clutch drag that it spins the input shaft up very easy to engine RPM, making it hard to get in gear especially with a possible damaged synchronizer.

 

[JayT]

When in gear and the clutch is pressed the weight of the truck is enough to prevent movement, but as soon as you go thru neutral there is enough clutch drag that it spins the input shaft up very easy to engine RPM, making it hard to get in gear especially with a possible damaged synchronizer.

It has been going in gear fine since the weather warmed up. I don't know what the weather has to do with it though. Is it possible that when the clutch hydraulic fluid got low, that an air bubble developed in the line. When this first started I checked that fluid for the first time. There was nothing visible in the reservoir cup. It only required an oz or 2 of fluid to be brought up to the correct level, and has not since gone down. is there a way to bleed this system without pulling the tranny?

 

[JayT]

I just want to add that I am disappointed in this transmission. It is my own fault for not doing research though. I have not worked on a manual transmissions since the 70s and at that time the clutches were mechanical, and could be replaced easy. So I chose a 5 spd manual Ranger under 2 assumptions, one of which is incorrect. 1). Better mpg; True. 2) Transmission easy to work on and/or cheap to rebuild/replace; False. I'm sticking with automatics after this. I put around 200,000 miles on a 4R44E, and this M5R1 barely makes it to 150,000.

 

[Carguy3J]

I just want to add that I am disappointed in this transmission. It is my own fault for not doing research though. I have not worked on a manual transmissions since the 70s and at that time the clutches were mechanical, and could be replaced easy. So I chose a 5 spd manual Ranger under 2 assumptions, one of which is incorrect. 1). Better mpg; True. 2) Transmission easy to work on and/or cheap to rebuild/replace; False. I'm sticking with automatics after this. I put around 200,000 miles on a 4R44E, and this M5R1 barely makes it to 150,000.

Umm, I think the problem here is your "expectations". If you think that an automatic would be cheaper/easier to repair/rebuild, or more reliable, then the the manual, well, you have once again failed to "do your research". This is not the 1970's.

You are very lucky to have gotten 200k out of 4r44E. Don't expect that to be the norm. Conversely, it sounds like your problem here is a failed slave cylinder. That is a wear/maintenance item. You should be happy you got 150k out of that. Yes, you need to pull the trans to change it. It is inconvenient, but this is not the only "internal" slave cylinder out there. (The proper term is concentric slave, for one which is "slung" over the input shaft.)

At 150k, you're probably due for a clutch soon anyway. Really, you're complaining about something you shouldn't be. Nothing lasts forever. Stop trying to analyze this to death. You need a new slave cylinder. Period. It has given you ample warning of impending failure. Plan on fixing it soon, or plan on being stuck on the side of the road one day.

As I said, while you are in there, it would be foolish to not do the following other items:

1.) New clutch disc/pressure plate
2.) New flywheel (They are cheap for this application; about $40. It doesn't make sense to have the old one machined)
3.) New pilot bearing
4.) Might as well do the rear main seal. Its right there, and it only cost a few dollars.
5.) Fluid change on the trans (Dexron/Mercon is acceptable, but full synthetic Mercon V is a better choice)
6.)Shifter bushing repair kit. If your shifter has lots of slop, this will fix it.
7.) Replace or silicon seal the shift rail plugs that are known to leak on these.
8.) Use this opportunity to check, and replace as needed, any worn u-joints, as the drive shaft will be out anyway.

I would recommend having a second person, as well as a vacuum/suction bleeder device to help bleed the clutch afterwards.

 

[Carguy3J]

It has been going in gear fine since the weather warmed up. I don't know what the weather has to do with it though. Is it possible that when the clutch hydraulic fluid got low, that an air bubble developed in the line. When this first started I checked that fluid for the first time. There was nothing visible in the reservoir cup. It only required an oz or 2 of fluid to be brought up to the correct level, and has not since gone down. is there a way to bleed this system without pulling the tranny?

Clutch fluid does not just disappear. There are no magic fluid fairies coming and stealing it in the night. If your reservoir was down, you have/had a leak. PERIOD. End of conversation. You have/had a leak. It WILL get worse. Its just a matter of time. You NEED a new slave cylinder, and maybe new lines/master cylinder as well. (probably a good idea to change them anyway, especially if they are original)

Yes, you can bleed the system with the trans installed. You will need a helper and, preferably, a vacuum/suction bleeder device similar to what is used to bleed brakes. Be prepared for it to take a long time to properly bleed these systems. They are notorious for trapped air. That said, you may be wasting your time. If you have lost fluid, you have a failing seal. It will happen again. Even if you don't lose fluid, it could be sucking in air. Again, you have a ticking time bomb. The only way to "disarm" it is to make a proper repair, and replace the needed parts.

The reason weather could be a factor is simple. In cold weather, a marginal/failing seal, which is made of rubber of some sort or another, is less flexible/pliable, and therefore less effective at sealing. As it warms up, it regains some flexability, and may seal a little better for a while before total failure. Further, colder temps makes the various fluids/greases more viscous (thicker), and therefor raises pressures and puts more "stress" on seals, and makes transmissions harder to shift.

 

[JayT]

Carguy: Thank you. You have been helpful.

 

[JayT]

Update

Well, I first posted about this on March 18. I average around 1500 miles mth so have driven around 3000 miles. As mentioned before, once the weather warmed up the trans no longer got stuck in neutral. I did finally have time to take it to a trusted mechanic. He said it will need a new slave cylinder, master cylinder, and while we have it open a new clutch, but he urged me not to have this done yet, since at this point it is very drivable. He said it is unlikely to fail catastrophically, and that driving it will not do worse damage to it. In short whether I have it worked on now or next Fall, it will need a new slave, master, and clutch. They have been in business since the 1920s. I am going to go with his advice, and wait.

 

[JayT]

Update

Here it is November and cold and I never had the tranny worked on. It's shifting fine. There is no noise. Nobody has been able to explain this. It ain't broke yet so I ain't fixin it.

 

[JayT]

Well, I made it clear through winter without needing this tranny worked on. I put around 10,000 more miles on it and the shifter has not gotten stuck even once.