How can you tell when your clutch is going out,and how hard is it to change a clutch? I have a 88 F-150 I6 4X4.And what is involved in changing it?
Thanks

 

I just put a clutch in our 82 bronco with a 300-6 and really I had no warning signs of the clutch going out. What happened was the all of the fingers on the pressure plate pretty much sheared off. I like to just say that the pressure plate exploded. The disc looked ok. Otherwise some signs are when you give it gas and the engine speeds up but the vehicle does not or the clutch slips, which would be the technical term. This can also be caused from a leaking rear main seal as well. When oil gets onto the clutch it slips until the oil burns off. Clutches aren't real difficult to put in if you have some mechanical knowledge and some good basic tools. You really do not need anything special. Just some wrenches and sockets and stuff like that. Your truck has a slave cylinder though and and those things are a pain to bleed. I do not know if you have to disconnect the line to put in a clutch. All you need is some patients and maybe get a freind to help. Some transmissions get heavy.

 

Have your flywheel re-surfaced while you have it apart. Also check the teeth on the ring gear. If they looked chewed up from the starter, replace it. I don't know what kind of clutch you have but the diaphram type pressure plate takes less pedal effort and works smoother when taking off.

 

My clutch went w/o a warning. I drove and it felt really weird...i couldn't tell what it was. I pulled over and checked the fluid and it was full. I drove about 15 miles home in some real stop and go driving through a small town and by the time i got home.. i couldn't put the truck in 1st gear, had to start off in 2nd which was tough to put in, and i had to grind it into reverse to get into my driveway, barely made it.


Primary rig is NOW TOTALLED :-X23 :
95' F-150 EB 300/6 5 spd with 4" Superlift, MSD, Ram Air, Gibson Exhaust, 32" BFG Muds
Some pictures in my gallery.


Then theres:
88' F-250 Superduty 351 + c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 and a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed, 65mph, Go Baby Go!

The newest addition to the Ford family is a 99' Mustang GT 4.6L

 

If it is a matter of slipping, get your truck up to 3rd or 4th gear and let the motor chug, then nail the accelerator. If the rpms increase without the truck moving in conjunction your clutch is nearing its end. Anybody looking for Oe clutch replacements talk to Ken Payne. I will be providing new oe clutches to members thru his store at gauranteed lowest prices. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

About how much do you think my clutch will cost? Should I change the slave cylinder as well? I heard they always leak if you don't change it.
Thanks
88 f150 4x4 300 six 5-speed

 

I am in the process of helping a friend with a ranger put a new clutch in. I don't think he knows how to start out without smoking his tires. He is going as cheap as he can. I think he paid around 100 bucks for the clutch and not doing anything with the slave cylindar. I wouldn't suggest that though, mine is already leaking and I think I have the original clutch. About every 3-4 months I have to fill it up. I would say a decent clutch is probably twice that or maybe more. My clutch acts like there isn't much play in it at all. Its either fully disengaged or engaged. Not much in between to slip a little at starts. It also shakes when I slip it like its real rough. So im just waiting for it to go out and hope im not out of town when it does. But it never slips when I have it in gear and I give it alot of gas.

 

An oe clutch kit is usually around 100-140. I would definately recommend replacing the slave cyl if it is an internal unit which the 88 and 90 f150's both are I do believe. If you do not replace it and it begins to leak you have to remove the entire trany to replace it and it can ruin the new clutch you just installed. Let me know if you have any additional questions.