Howdy all,
my son recently bought a 1989 F-150 4X4 with a 4.9l and 4 speed trans. We knew when we got it it would need a new clutch but it worked fine at the time. A few days ago it began to release right near the floor, and it was almost impossible to shift. I checked the slave cylinder and discovered it had broken loose from it's mount and was tilting upwards whenever the pedal was depressed. It was also missing the retainer clip behind the mounting bracket. I bled and installed a new slave cylinder and retaining clip, but it still won't disengage unless you mash the pedal to the floor and it grinds the gears. My question is, if the clutch itself is really worn out would it cause this condition? There are no obvious leaks in the hydralic system and the slave cylinder looks like it's operating properly. Any input would be great! Thanks,
Colby

 

Sounds like a worn out pressure plate. Time for that clutch job. in addition to replacing the most holy clutching trinity be sure to replace the pilot bearing, and if it is worn the throwout bearing carrier. While you are in there check the fly wheel to see if it needs a facing job. How about the rear main seal is it ok. If not this is an ideal time to fix that too.