I have a 2003 f-150 with a 4.2 and a 5 speed. When im letting the clutch out from first gear it feels normal and engages right away but when im shifting from 2nd-3rd or 3rd to 4th i feel like the clutch doesnt really engage until the pedal is more than half way out, it feels sloppy. Maybe its the fact that im driving with a 33 inch tire but it just doesnt feel right. Any opinions what it might be?

 

Has anyone ever messed around with the pedals, or anything under the dash? Have you checked the fluid quality & level? How many miles on the clutch? Yes, the larger tires WILL have an effect.

If you have a tach, find the pedal position in 1st where the clutch really grabs. Then try to get to the same spot in a higher gear, hold the pedal there, & see how hard you can tap the gas pedal withOUT the RPM surging (clutch slipping).

 

Im the second owner of the car and bought it at 36k. It has 49k now. The fluid level was checked in late november and i only used it for two weeks after that as im home from college currently and the truck as it school. Ive felt that it was a little sloppy far before it was last checked. I mean it doesnt affect my ability to drive the car i just want to get some opinions as maybe it will be a problem in the future. As i said before it could very well be the 33 inch tires i put on this past summer. When i installed a body lift to fit those 33 inch tires i did have to do work under the dash was there something i could have done?

 

Not likely. It sounds like it's just the effect of the large tires, but try to check it the way I described. The clutch may be worn out because of the tires combined with your driving style. Try to spend as LITTLE time as possible transitioning between FULLY released (pedal down) & FULLY engaged (pedal up) to minimize wear/heat on the clutch, pressure plate, & flywheel. That means you'll need to learn to feather your throttle during the shift so the truck doesn't lurch or grind - those are bad, too.

I'm familiar enough with mine that I can usually speedshift it - not using the clutch at all, but just slipping it out of one gear & into another. You have to learn the RPMs for each speed, though, & feel the synchronizers thru the shifter.

 

Alright ill give what you said a try when i get back to school on tuesday. Is there a particular minimum rpm youre thinking that is an acceptable point at which the clutch should slip at a higher gear?

I only plan on doing this once as i dont really feel like burning out my clutch and having to replace it as im on a student budget haha.

 

Nope. It's specific to the wear on your clutch parts & the strength of the diaphragm. But you don't have to let it slip for more than 1/2 second - just bump the gas hard & watch the tach.

 

Your clutch is starting to slip. The friction point on a clutch is the same regardless of what gear you are in. If it grabs at the ½ way mark in first gear it should do the same in every gear. Wheel size has no effect on the friction point.

JMC

 

You're assuming that the clutch is STOPPED. In that case, it WOULD always be the same.

But considering the change in the necessary torque to grab the turning driveline as the gear is changed, the point in the pedal travel needed to resist that torque will change.