No Bronco Gears
Q:The clutch went out on my '87 Ford Bronco II. I installed a new one, put everything back together, and now it acts like there's no clutch at all. It doesn't engage the transmission--I can push it into each gear without any grinding. We tried to bleed the system, thinking the problem might be the master cylinder.
A:The '87 Ford Bronco II equipped with a manual transmission used an internal hydraulic slave cylinder assembly. The cylinder is mounted on the sleeve surrounding the input shaft of the transmission. The hydraulic pressure transmitted from the clutch pedal and master cylinder assembly enables the slave to force the release bearing toward the clutch-pressure plate and release the clutch disc. At this point, you can change gears smoothly. The older models used an external slave cylinder and a release fork that pivots and applies the release bearing. Let's assume it wasn't something silly like forgetting to install the clutch disc, which would produce the symptom you've described--easy in and out of gear and nothing else. Start by disconnecting the hydraulic line at the slave cylinder or opening up the bleeder valve. If doing this now prevents you from shifting into gear with the engine running, then constant pressure to the slave cylinder may be the problem. This can be caused by a fault in the master cylinder or an obstructed hydraulic line that would keep the slave cylinder applied and the clutch released at all times. After that, it's time to pull it apart to make sure the correct parts are there. Look for any broken parts, and make sure the slave cylinder and/or release bearing aren't hanging up.
Find the Flash
Q:The ABS light came on in my '95 F-150 4x4. It flashed 16 times and stopped, and kept repeating this pattern. I turned off the engine for about 45 minutes, and the light didn't come back on. The dealer says, without the light coming on, he can't trace the problem. Any advice would be helpful.
A:Typically, there will be a diagnostic trouble code stored in the memory of the Rear Anti-Lock Brake (RABS) module after the indicator lamp on the instrument panel comes on. The codes will be displayed in a sequence of short flashes followed by one long flash of the yellow ABS light after jumping a two-wire diagnostic connector. Sixteen flashes indicate the system is functioning normally. No present failure code means there's an intermittent condition within the system for which no code applies. This can be difficult to diagnose and usually points toward a defective RABS module or a faulty power or ground connection in a vital circuit en route to the module. Give the folks at the dealer another shot at it if the problem recurs--and it probably will.