Hey there guys, I am new to this forum and want to do some work on my truck. I have a 1989 F150 2wd standard cab long bed 4.9L 5 speed tranny. My grandpa bought it brand new then gave it to my dad before he passed away. Two years ago my dad gave it to me becaus the brake lines were shot and it had other issues. I ran all new brake lines, new fuel lines, and drove the truck around all last year. I havent drove it since probably November. The other day I go out and was going to drive it and it was very hesitant to go anywhere. The engine sounded just fine, but i could take my foot almost all the way off clutch and it acted like it didnt want to do anything. Kinda like the wheels were locked up, but they werent because I move it about ten feet and no grass was moved. Anyways so I figure its the clutch is shot, so my question is what do you guys think? And if the clutch is shot I would rather spend a little money and just throw in an automatic, because we are going to be towing a horse trailer and the wife refuses to learn to drive stick. What would swapping manual for automatic tranny entail and how would I do it. Thanks for any help

Thanks
Kevin

 

Keep the man tranny and let the girls have the auto. Manuals are more reliable and simpler. Cheaper to fix if anything goes wrong. Check your slave cylinder. Yours should be an external one if I recall right. Is there any fluid coming from anywhere? Check to make sure it has fluid and if everything looks like it should

 

My old lady won't drive a stick either. F*ck her.

 

It will take a hell of a lot of work to put an auto in and a lot of money.

 

I swapped out my 4 speed for a 5 speed for under $100. Required almost the same amount of work and parts as an automatic swap. That was including the transmission.

 

Wow, I am amazed at how quick there were replies to this. Usually on forums you wait for a day for one person to post. Thanks for the quick replies. I personally enjoy driving the manual tranny, but find it easier to drive an automatic and with the wife refusing to drive stick I didnt know how much work it would be. I was under it the other night putting the last of the fuel line on and I was actually looking at transmission and it isnt leaking near the transmission anywhere. I did see a rubber "hole blocker" on the tranny, but I didnt pull it out. I didnt see anything that looks like a slave cylinder attached to outside of tranny, but again wasnt really looking for it. How do I check the slave cylinder, and it doesnt have any problem going into the gears it just doesnt want to go anywar when it is in gear. Again thanks for the quick replies

Kevin

 

You say you havent drivin it since november.... Something could have locked upt inside. I would check the fluid level. Not sure where the slave cylinder is on the 4psd. I would check the line from the master cylinder back down to the trans. Does the engine rengine rev up and sound like it is stressed? Or does it sound like it is free reving?

 

Yea, I could be persuaded to believe something locked up on the inside because it wasnt acting like this before I stopped driving it. Also it is a 5 speed instead of 4 speed. The engine sounds good and healthy, doesnt sound like it is under stress. I also doesnt really sound like it is free revving, when I put the clutch in, it goes right in gear then I slowly pull clutch out and apply gas and it feels like the truck is stuck in mud would probably the best way to describe it. The first time it did it I actually got out of truck and walked around and looked if I was spinning the tires, but no marks. I was gonna do the normal clutch test of putting it in a high gear and pull clutch out and see if it immediatly dies out but I havent had a chance

 

If its a 5spd then you prolly have the dreaded internal slave cylinder like my truck does. This requires removing the trans and transfer case (if 4x4) to replace. Have you checked the fluid inside? I would drain it to see if anything else comes out. Maybe debris and other things.

 

My truck is a two wheel drive. Yea I was looking at advance auto website at a slave cylinder ater you said it and it looks like it would be installed on a shaft or something inside the transmission. I havent checked the fluid yet, maybe I will pull the drain plug out this weekend, and see what happens.