Slave cylinder problem. Could a girl fix it?

[sherbear]

Hello eveybody i'm a proud new ford owner. I got me a 97 Ford Explorer xlt. I got a good deal but new there was a problem with getting it into gear (5 speed). I thought it was the master but it is the slave cylinder. i am getting quotes from mechanics it will be around 700 (parts&labor). is that a good deal? Or should i try to get a book and some friends and try to do it myself. I also know that while i have the tran out i should replace the clutch. can I do it? PLEASE HELP ME! i have got to get it back running as soon as possible. i've got school and work. thankyou

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread to the transmission section.

 

[Anime]

$700 isn't too bad, depending on the quality of the parts they use. It makes a big difference what slave cylinder you use, since the cheesy ones need replacement after a year, if they even last that long.

Of course a girl could do it, dropping the tranny and the parts to get to it is more a matter of having the right tools. Even with all the right sockets and ratchets and extensions and wrenches, you're going to need to get the vehicle up high enough to get under there, a jack adapter to safely hold and lower and then lift and reinstall the tranny, and other various shop things to make the job easier and safer.

If you've never done it before, it takes longer since you have to work at getting bolts loose that have probably never been loosened, plus you have to figure some stuff out as you go along.

If your Explorer is your only transportation and you can't afford a few days to a week or more of downtime to do the work yourself, or if you can't gather all the tools you'd need to do the job correctly and safely, you'd be better off getting the work done for that $700. If you want to do it yourself though, you can save a bundle. You can get most of the necessary tools for just a few hundred dollars, plus the clutch is $100-200 and the slave is $50-75. I'd suggest getting the slave at Ford dealer parts dept that'll give you a deal or getting it online.

 

[nitro71]

Anime, so all slaves aren't made equal? Sounds like the Ford ones are the best ones to get? They are also about $40 more.

 

[nitro71]

sherbear, so the tranny goes into all the other gears without problem but just won't go into 5th? One gear not engaging does not sound like a slave cylinder issue to me. Anime knows more, maybe he'll chime in on this. Seems to me slave issues should affect all the gears. One gear sounds like a syncro or other problem to me?

 

[IZwack]

sherbear, so the tranny goes into all the other gears without problem but just won't go into 5th? One gear not engaging does not sound like a slave cylinder issue to me. Anime knows more, maybe he'll chime in on this. Seems to me slave issues should affect all the gears. One gear sounds like a syncro or other problem to me?

I think she meant its a "5 speed" transmissoin, not "5th gear".

 

[Lacky01]

when I first got my explorer, I had to replace the clutch, pressure plate, master and slave cylinders,and I think the "throw-out bearing"? anyway, I didn't have the necessary equipment so I had a local shop do all the work. they charged me around 650 for all of those parts and labor. check a few different places and see if you can find a better deal. all it is is pulling out the old part, putting in the new one and bleeding the lines. I would assume you may find a cheaper place.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Quick question before teardown????

Has the entire system been bled completely of air? With the internal slave cylinder I have had to bleed it multiple times to remove all the air trapped in the system in the past...

And with air in the system the slave doesn't move as far to disengage the clutch and shifting can be hard to impossible...

To the question of whether you can do it or not...With air tools and good support devices[jack stands/ramps and hydraulic jack] the biggest obstacle is time...I won't say $700 is a great price but considering most clutch sets will run 250-350 plus the cost of a rental if you need one for say a week and you are right back to that price...Plus you get to do the labor to remove and replace the tranny, clutch, t/o bearing, and bleed the system.. And you provide the warranty on the repair if something goes wrong...

But I know there is no fun in doing it that way!

There are lots of knowledgeable folks here that will be more than helpful if you need assistance... Good luck with your project, whichever way you decide to go...

 

[nitro71]

Shop a little for a good a mechanic. Ask your friends, family, co-workers. Check out their shop. If it's not clean keep on looking. Clean shops indicate mechanics that are thorough and meticulous. Call Ford and ask them how many hours a clutch, slave install takes. They have a book that gives them the hours. A good shop probably charges $80-$100 /hour. Get a second diagnosis on that tranny. Do not spend $700 because one shop thinks something is wrong.

 

[nitro71]

ranger, thanks for the info on the bleeding. I think I'll start with bleeding my slave before going for a replacement. Thanks!