fmjnax
Junior Member
My daughter has a manual 2003 1500 with the 3.7 V6. Yesterday she called me on her way to her grandparents house saying that her truck was shaking violently while shifting and had a rubber burning smell. I fully expected it to be her clutch. She is 17 years old and it's her first manual. I had her limp the last couple of miles and told her to have her grandmother bring her home. She has owned the truck for about a year. It has close to 188k miles on it and who knows when (or if) the clutch was last replaced. This morning I went to check it out for myself. Below is what I am aware of so far:
- I didn't have the tools to check the tranny fluid on the spot since there isn't a dipstick, but I will do that tomorrow. We have never seen any puddles under the truck, though.
- It has been decades since I have owned a manual, but the clutch feels soft. It goes to the floor quite easily. Not much sponge or resistance to it.
- With the engine off, you can shift in/out of every gear without too much effort. Doesn't matter if clutch is in or out.
- With the engine running at idle and the clutch depressed, you can shift in/out of every gear, but it's a bit tough. 1 and 2 require you to slam it pretty hard. 3-5 seems ok. For R it feels like you might break the shift lever trying to get it in from N. If you shift into 5 and then immediately slam down into R it will go and feel like 1 and 2. Of course, no shift happens without the clutch in (and no grinding if you try).
- When you take off in 1, the truck shakes violently. Not just a shudder like it needs more gas, but a hard shake. If you launch with high rpm's and pop the clutch quickly, it's better.
- When shifting from 1 to 2, the same violent shake occurs if you release the clutch slowly. If you work the clutch and shifter quickly then there's no problem. Quickly stomp the clutch to the floor and slam into gear and then release the clutch 100%, it shifts fine without any shake.
- Three times during my test drive back home, the truck did not want to shift into 2 or 3 and it would grind. I'd have to reset to N, rev match, and slam it home. It only happened those three times over the course of the 30 mile drive, and one of the grinds occurred on 2. It initially shifted to 2 but them popped out and then I got the grind trying to put it back in.
- Once you're in 3, it all seems to drive normally. No shaking, no grinding, smooth shifting, no smell.
- Truck downshifts fine, aside from needing the extra "oomph" for 1 and 2 as noted above.
- I never did smell anything odd during my drive back, so I think maybe my daughter was riding the clutch for some reason. I know she doesn't normally (or at least she never has while I have been in the truck with her).
What do ya'll think? Does that sound like a worn clutch? If so, has anyone replaced one themselves? I tend to think of myself as an advanced backyard/shadetree mechanic, but transmission work is the one thing I have never done (I have completely rebuilt engines, for comparison). Is it possible for a very experienced DIY'er to do?
Thanks!
- I didn't have the tools to check the tranny fluid on the spot since there isn't a dipstick, but I will do that tomorrow. We have never seen any puddles under the truck, though.
- It has been decades since I have owned a manual, but the clutch feels soft. It goes to the floor quite easily. Not much sponge or resistance to it.
- With the engine off, you can shift in/out of every gear without too much effort. Doesn't matter if clutch is in or out.
- With the engine running at idle and the clutch depressed, you can shift in/out of every gear, but it's a bit tough. 1 and 2 require you to slam it pretty hard. 3-5 seems ok. For R it feels like you might break the shift lever trying to get it in from N. If you shift into 5 and then immediately slam down into R it will go and feel like 1 and 2. Of course, no shift happens without the clutch in (and no grinding if you try).
- When you take off in 1, the truck shakes violently. Not just a shudder like it needs more gas, but a hard shake. If you launch with high rpm's and pop the clutch quickly, it's better.
- When shifting from 1 to 2, the same violent shake occurs if you release the clutch slowly. If you work the clutch and shifter quickly then there's no problem. Quickly stomp the clutch to the floor and slam into gear and then release the clutch 100%, it shifts fine without any shake.
- Three times during my test drive back home, the truck did not want to shift into 2 or 3 and it would grind. I'd have to reset to N, rev match, and slam it home. It only happened those three times over the course of the 30 mile drive, and one of the grinds occurred on 2. It initially shifted to 2 but them popped out and then I got the grind trying to put it back in.
- Once you're in 3, it all seems to drive normally. No shaking, no grinding, smooth shifting, no smell.
- Truck downshifts fine, aside from needing the extra "oomph" for 1 and 2 as noted above.
- I never did smell anything odd during my drive back, so I think maybe my daughter was riding the clutch for some reason. I know she doesn't normally (or at least she never has while I have been in the truck with her).
What do ya'll think? Does that sound like a worn clutch? If so, has anyone replaced one themselves? I tend to think of myself as an advanced backyard/shadetree mechanic, but transmission work is the one thing I have never done (I have completely rebuilt engines, for comparison). Is it possible for a very experienced DIY'er to do?
Thanks!