While a hydraulic clutch with an automatic transmission system offers easy control, a faulty clutch can lead to bad driving experience. If you’re driving a Ford F150 and having difficulty dealing with the clutch, help is here.
The most common Ford F150 Hydraulic clutch problems are stiff pedal, detached transmission, bad cylinder, bushing, or the plastic line. It can also be in the start switch, there could be trapped air bubbles, or the clip groove may have gone bad.
Good news is, most of these problems have fairly simple solutions with a few tweaks here and there. Let’s go through the most common F150 clutch problems and see your next course of actions.
8 Common Ford f150 hydraulic clutch problems -with Solutions
| F150 Hydraulic Clutch Problems | Best Solutions To Try |
|---|---|
| Hard/Stiff Clutch pedal | 1. Inspect and adjust the linkage 2. Loosen and adjust the lock nut. |
| Popped out cup link from the transmission | 1. Check the lug nut and tighten it 2. Pull the link and replace if needed |
| Corroded Clip Groove | Replace the clip if it’s too corroded |
| Worn out bushing | Replace it with a new one |
| Trapped Air Bubble inside the valve | Open valve and release the air bubble |
| Faulty hydraulic cylinders | 1. Clean the inner contaminants 2. Might need to replace the cylinder |
#1- Hard/Stiff Clutch Pedal
Hard or stiff clutch pedal in F150 is a situation when you’ll feel an unusual resistance when pushing the clutch pedal in. It can even create a strong resistance, enough not to go down the whole and make shifts in the transmission system.
easy Solution
The best way to rectify the issue is by inspecting the clutch wire. See if the tension in the cable is too much or worn out in between the transmission and the pedal. You want to replace them in both cases.
Too much stress on the cable can cause a breakage down the line. Don’t be a victim of that.
If you hear a popping noise while having the resistance, here’s your next remedy:
#2- Popped Out Cup Link From The Transmission
The clutch cable connects to the transmission system through hydraulic drums via a cup link. You’ll often hear a popping noise while getting a hard or stiff pedal if the cable comes loose off the transmission. When both happens together, your first inspection should be on this connection.
easy Solution
Pull the cable off the transmission cup link. If it comes off the groove with little to no resistance, inspect the parts that hold the cable in place. In most cases, the valve will leak fluid and won’t pass the clutch resistance to the transmission.
You want to clean the fluid line so that the fluid no more has to struggle to go back and forth, resulting in bad clutch resistance.
#3- Hard Plastic Line
Getting a hard and stiff clutch pedal in Ford F150 isn’t uncommon, even after cleaning the end of the clutch line. This happens because of wearing and clogging inside the line. As this is a vital part of the entire clutch system, you don’t want any resistance for the fluid to transfer.
Easy Solution
If this is the case for you, go ahead and replace the hard plastic line that contains the hydraulic fluid. You also want to make sure no foreign contaminants get in between the hard plastic line and the cup link, as well as the groove in the transmission case where everything fit in.
#4- Corroded Clip Groove
If the hydraulic clutch persists to be stiff and not working that well after cleaning or replacing the hard plastic line, it’s the clip groove that’s causing the issue. Inspect the clip grooves (there are 3) and be sure that each is in good shape.
Easy Solution
If you find any wear or tear in any of the grooves, you better replace the entire brass fitting, including the rubber O ring. In case you’re wondering, Yes, you can do a makeshift by grinding and polishing things down a bit. But that’s a temporary solution. You’ll have to replace it anyway.
#5- Worn Out Bushing
The Bushing I’m talking about here is the one that sits in between your master hydraulic cylinder and your clutch pedal. When you push the pedal, it pushes the master cylinder via the bushing. This little knob gets through a lot of stress, and can wear out periodically, resulting in hard clutch, or even a completely numb clutch system.
easy Solution
The only way to resolve it is by replacing the bushing with a new one that costs around $5. So, next time you end up with a hard clutch, hear grinding noise and a clutch not working as it should, check the bushing before going deeper.
#6- Trapped Air Bubble Inside The Valve
Well, the nightmare for the new Ford F150 owners is here. A little air bubble that causes enough difficulty to drive one crazy.
First, how you identify that there’s air bubble inside the cylinder or the hydraulic line? Here’s how:
- When you push the clutch pedal, it will feel spongy before putting any resistance or compression on the transmission. That’s the best way to tell if there’s air trapped inside.
- Check the pressure put to the clutch plate inside the transmission system. It should be around 6700 plate lift on the gauge, and it should be more than 6000.
easy Solution
The best way to push the trapped air bubble off the tube and filling it with 100% hydraulic fluid is by reversing the process.
When you’re putting the plastic line into the Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC), you have to bleed it properly. Ford includes a bleed port in the clutch CSC of F150 for you to do the bleeding without any hassle.
#7- Faulty Hydraulic Cylinders
While the non-functioning or hard/stiff clutch can be there because of a lot of reasons, it can also be a sign of a bad hydraulic cylinder. Either of the cylinders or one of them can go bad from the inside.
Solution
If you have a bad cylinder, you’ll have a hard time controlling the clutch and hear a strange noise as you push the pedal. To resolve the issue, try a complete cleaning procedure of the entire line before you replace the cylinder.
#8- Faulty Start Switch
Well, among plenty of reasons for a bad clutch, a faulty clutch switch can be a simple yet overlooked one. The Ford F150 has a little push tab to pull the switch out of the clutch master cylinder. If, somehow, the tab breaks down, you’ll end up with a F159 that has a non-functional clutch.
Solution:
First, check if the pull tabs are intact, then see if the electric connections from the ECU are in good shape. If everything looks okay from the outside, push out the switch and check the foam buffer and washer collar. Replace them if you see wear and tear.
As the final check, see if the switch is torn or has gone bad entirely. If you find any physical damage to it, replace the switch along with the O-ring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why Does My F150 Hydraulic Clutch Doesn’t Work?
There are two usual reasons why you may end up with a bad hydraulic clutch in your Ford F150. Either the problem is with the pressure, or it has to do with the volume of your clutch fluid.
Do You Have To Bleed A Hydraulic Clutch?
Yes, every time you open or work on the clutch system, you have to bleed the valve before you put the line into the slave cylinder.
How Much Pressure Do I Need On The Clutch Plate?
You need at least 6000 Plate lift pressure on the clutch to have it working properly without feeling spongy or missing out on resistance.
How Often To Flush Clutch Fluid From F150?
You should check the clutch fluid every 4 moths in your truck and see if it’s looking good. If you drive too often, you may need to replace it every time as well.
F150 hydraulic line problem >> Check out the video below:
Key takeaways
Treating your Ford F150’s clutch system on a regular basis will help you keep it functional without having to replace things too often. Be sure the clutch line has plenty of fluid inside, get a good quality bushing while replacing it, and never close the slave cylinder without bleeding.
Remember, the ideal amount of clutch fluid is just the amount that fills the clutch line to the top before spilling out.
