Clutch frustration

I have ’95 Jeep Cherokee with a 4.0 L V6 and it’s been a GREAT vehicle ever since the purchase. Two weeks ago I thought the clutch went out (not bad at 161K miles) and let a friend convince me to do it myself by ordering a kit and renting a transmition jack. We took most of a Saturday getting it apart (after figuring out the 6 different bolt sizes and heads that bolt up the transmition) and found that the throw-out bearing was trashed, little ball bearings were hitting the floor as soon as we opened it up. So we put in the new kit and I spent the next day putting everything back together. The problem now is that I can’t get the clutch to engage all the way. It feels really soft, grinds the gears when you try to shift, and gets hot very fast. I took the hydraulic clutch release out because I remembered it going on with more resistance than it came off with. I bled the system, adjusted the plunger but the clutch still feels soft, like it’s not going in all the way. I can’t say yet whether or not the adjustment worked because when I went to start it I just heard clicking … started must have decided to die during the process. This just seems to be getting worse with every turn of the wrench -

Any suggestions? Am I on the right track or should I call a tow truck to take it to a professional?

Don't give up hope yet. It sounds like one of 2 things. simple first, try bleeding the slave cylinder again. This can be best done by 2 people. Top off the resevor, have your friend push the clutch all the way to the floor, holding there, crack the bleeder valve, then close it after the fluid stops. Release the pedal. This will take a couple of trys to get the air out(if any). The other thing is, are you sure that the throw-out bearing is installed properly, it could be catching only some of the fingers on the pressure plate. Try too to adjust your plunger out a bit more to get the release you need of the clutch.
As far as your starter, double check the tightness of your connection to the starter.

Thanks for the tips, the GreenGoat LIVES! Turns out that taking the starter out led to the real culprit - a bolt next to the clutch release that was not tightended all the way. I can't believe all this time one bolt was the solution but hey, I'm not going to complain about having my jeep back. Thanks again, looks I'll be heading out of this heat for the weekend after all.

Hey Greengoat, i have a 92 sport Cherokee, 4x4. inline 6, was wondering if you could help me, just the other day my clutch pedal stopped coming back and now i can't engage it, nothing seems broken inside the vehicle, i don't ride the clutch, would like some help diagnosing the problem and or where i might look to figure it out? Also, you said you removed your tranny etc, did you do this at home on jack stands or at a shop on a hoist? Could a person get enough clearance to work on it at home?
Thanx anybody who can help me,

Mike

Hey Mike,

I've been out of the country for 3 weeks - did you get the clutch fixed?

I'm not 100% sure if the 92 is the same set up but sounds like the release cylinder is the problem - or the master cylinder needs fluid. I'd check the cylinder 1st if you haven't already done so, it's up on the firewall on the drivers side. If that's fine then check the release cylinder. It's up under the driveline for the front axle. You can follow the hose from the master cylinder to it. There are only two bolts holding it on. You should be able to tell if that's the problem by removing it and pushing the pushrod into it. If it comes back out then it's fine and I'm not sure what to tell you. If it doesn't that’s your problem. You can try bleeding the line to see if that fixes it otherwise you may need a new one.

Also, I worked on mine in my garage over a weekend. I put the front end up on ramps and rented a tranny jack for the weekend for $65 for the whole clutch replacement. I just put the front up on jack stands to work on the release cylinder - oh, you may want to take the driveline down at the front u-joint so you can get at the release cylinder or it's a REALLY tight fit with a socket.

Best of luck to you!



Hey Greengoat, i have a 92 sport Cherokee, 4x4. inline 6, was wondering if you could help me, just the other day my clutch pedal stopped coming back and now i can't engage it, nothing seems broken inside the vehicle, i don't ride the clutch, would like some help diagnosing the problem and or where i might look to figure it out? Also, you said you removed your tranny etc, did you do this at home on jack stands or at a shop on a hoist? Could a person get enough clearance to work on it at home?
Thanx anybody who can help me,

Mike

For what it's worth, I experienced a similar problem many years ago after installing a new clutch and pressure plate in a 1963 Ford Falcon. The new pressure plate came with a sticker reading "Flywheel Side." After days of frustration I figured out that the sticker had been placed on the wrong side of the pressure plate.
Just a thought...
Dale

I have a 88 Cherokee and a buddy and I were abl to take it out just having the front up on stands. We did use a jack to hold up the tranny. we got it in and out in about 6 hours. The only thing was that we had problems getting the pilot bearing out, that killed about 1 1/2 hours. Other than that it worked fine.

Greengoat, thanx for the reply , haven't fixed it yet, just got my computer back, tell me, is yours an inline 6 or v6, also is it a 4x4?
It's a little tougher for me to work on it as i live in Edmonton, Alberta, a little colder than Arizona, lol, , also can you tell me if the hydraulic clutch release on yours is inside the tranny or out and by itself, ie accessble?
Gone to get another set of jack stands to get a better look at it, any response greatly appreciated, have more questions but thats it for a start

Mike
Hey Mike,

I've been out of the country for 3 weeks - did you get the clutch fixed?

I'm not 100% sure if the 92 is the same set up but sounds like the release cylinder is the problem - or the master cylinder needs fluid. I'd check the cylinder 1st if you haven't already done so, it's up on the firewall on the drivers side. If that's fine then check the release cylinder. It's up under the driveline for the front axle. You can follow the hose from the master cylinder to it. There are only two bolts holding it on. You should be able to tell if that's the problem by removing it and pushing the pushrod into it. If it comes back out then it's fine and I'm not sure what to tell you. If it doesn't that’s your problem. You can try bleeding the line to see if that fixes it otherwise you may need a new one.

Also, I worked on mine in my garage over a weekend. I put the front end up on ramps and rented a tranny jack for the weekend for $65 for the whole clutch replacement. I just put the front up on jack stands to work on the release cylinder - oh, you may want to take the driveline down at the front u-joint so you can get at the release cylinder or it's a REALLY tight fit with a socket.

Best of luck to you!