I have a 99 Cherokee with a ax-15 in it. When i first bought it the guy said he just replaced the clutch. When i was driving today it sporadically was having a hard time going into second. The clutch pedal also releases when its at the very top. I haven't ever owned a 5 speed before so I'm not to sure if this means i need a new clutch or what. Any ideas?

 

maybe a slave cylinder, the PO may not have changed it when the new clutch was done.

 

thanks, ill check into it

 

do you mean it engages or disengages? if it is disengaging with the pedal most of the way out it is a sign of the clutch wearing out. although i have seen a lot of mopars like this even with a new clutch

 

it catches when the clutch pedal is all the way out. so engages.

 

does the clutch slip any when you floor it?

 

nope

 

It almost sounds like a clutch adjustment. If the pedal feels firm throughout its throw then that would be my geuss. If the pedal feels wierd (not smooth basically) then it may be a master cylinder problem. Is it leaking fluid at all? If it is the master cylinder it would probably leak around the firewall or you could feel it at the bottom of the pedal. Try bleeding the line.

 

btw that would be disengaging

 

the pedal gets musshy from time to time but doesnt seem to stay that way. And yes it is leaking fluid but not around the firewall. It seems like it is leaking from the front of the t-case where it connects to the trans. I thought it was just my t-case leaking but its brake fluid.

 

ohh ok sorry

 

Normally, the further you are off the floor (out) when the clutch engages (catches), the newer it is. If it doesn't fully engage all the way out (it's slipping), it's either worn excessively or installed/adjusted incorrectly. When it doesn't fully disengage when the pedal is all the way to the floor (in), it's installed/adjusted incorrectly and you'll have a hard time shifting it (you will grind gears). When there isn't enough fluid in the master cylinder (or, it's leaking fluid), you can push the pedal all the way to the floor (in), and it won't seperate (disengage) properly, which makes shifting hard (grinding gears) to the point of exact rev-matching (shifting w/o clutch altogether). Hope this helps.

 

BTW, even though it's possible and you can impress your friends, I do not endorse shifting without the clutch. It's hard on synchronizers and blocking rings and may require transmission replacement in the long run.

 

Brake fluid is interchangeable with hydraulic clutch fluid. DOT 3 or 4. Could be either source. If the brakes ain't mushy, it's your clutch master/slave cylinder that leaks the fluid.

 

My .02

This is the problem I had with mine. It would shift into all other gears fine but seemed to have something blocking it when trying to go to second. The fix is change your transmission fluid and put in the correct fluid, GL#. I don’t remember what they are right now and I’m not at home to check. I’m sure if you do a search you can find it. More than likely what’s happening is your syncros aren’t working right because you have the wrong fluid.

The leak at the back of your transmission and front of transfer case is probably the transmission output seal. The seal is easy to replace but the transfer case is a beotch to get off because the top bolts are hard to get to.

BTW, from what you describe your clutch pedal is working exactly like mine always has. It catches right at the top as you let the pedal out. If you want to see what’s involved with pulling the transmission/transfer case I’ve go a write-up here: http://borntourist.com/gallery2/v/mo...tch/?g2_page=1 . Click on the last picture on page 3 and it tells you how to check to see if your clutch is working correctly.