Picking some brains here to see if anyone has had these symptoms wit the 6 speed trans in a 2500. My truck became hard to get in gear today after a 4 hour trip. It doesn't grind gears trying to go in gear when I shift, but it is just hard to get in gear. Clutch seems to be working fine, no leaks in the hydraulics of the clutch and fluid is full. It's not just 1st gear from a stop, it's every gear that is difficult. It's the same way shifting when you get rolling. I thought I heard a squeaking noise one time, but not sure if it was my truck or something close by. Truck is an 04 CTD 4WD 6 speed. 135K miles, original clutch, etc. Any ideas appreciated.

It sounds like its new clutch time. I'm betting the first issue (the squeal) was with the throw out bearing. If that was the case, now the fingers on the pressure plate are probably bad as well. If going that far, not changing the disc doesn't make much sense.

I had a squealing throw out bearing in a clutch with 1/2 your miles on it (but not in an 04 Diesel), within a week, almost 1/2 the material on the fingers on the pressure plate were ground away. Every day it was getting harder to get into any gear.

Yeah, checking others experiences on you Tube, I've figured it is either the clutch on its way out or the slave cylinder gone bad. It kind of comes and goes, and I can shift it without the clutch after I get it moving....and it shifts just fine like that. I looked at everything I can see on the slave cylinder and don't see any leaks. Others that put videos on You Tube describe the same thing, but find slight moisture in the bellhousing when they swapped it out. Worst part about it, is I'm 314 miles from home! Pretty sure I can get it back to the house though. I may swap a new slave cylinder on it first, since that is easier and cheaper. If that ends up not being it, I'll get a mechanic I know to do the clutch/ throw-out bearing at his shop on the lift.

Once the clutch disc gets worn to a certain point, the slave doesn't have enough stroke left to completely disengage the clutch.

Ran into this problem on my Dad's F150 years ago.

Couldn't put it in gear without shutting off the engine. As long as you never stopped while in neutral, it functioned fine, but if you did wind up in neutral, it dragged enough that you couldn't get it into gear. I forget if you could crash it into reverse to get the trans to stop spinning and then quickly go to first or not.

Took out a perfectly serviceable clutch disc and replaced with a new one and problem gone.

Kevin

Pilot bearing taking a poop.

Try this, with the engine off put the truck in low gear, push in the clutch and start the engine, release the clutch and see if it takes off, you should be able to get rolling, then push in your clutch and come to a stop, if it does this I would think your throw out bearing system is working. If the pilot bearing is going out it doesn’t let the imput shaft freewheel when you push in the clutch,good luck!

Thanks for the pilot bearing info....not something I would have thought of. If it has to come far enough apart to check that, it will get a new one, along with a single disc Southbend clutch kit and throwout bearing.

Well....this is weird! After the truck sat for 2 days at the beach, it hasn't done this again. I drove it 314 miles home, plus stopped at my niece's house along the way to pick up my car trailer that I used to deliver a golf cart to her. Not one problem, not even being stuck in traffic going UP Saluda Mtn on I-26 with the trailer behind me. I used the truck to haul my tractor to do some work today....no problems!
One thing I didn't mention in my original post, but I don't see how it could cause the symptoms I experienced. On my way to the beach early Friday morning around 6 AM, I came within a gnats ass of hitting a Deer on the interstate. I saw it just in time to swerve right and miss it. The truck got almost completely sideways when I swerved, so I yanked it back the other way and it got a little sideways the other way but straightened up. Scared the bejeezus out of me! Smooth sailing the rest of the way to the beach. I noticed the hard to shift symptoms when I got off the exit ramp at the beach. I don't know if the skidding sideways may have chattered the clutch and got it hot or something? Looks like it would have cooled back down for the 3 more hours of the trip afterwards. Ain't acted up a bit since....works like normal.

my 6spd second gen was doing the same thing. had a couple times were i could feel the clutch slip as well so i knew it was time. went sound bend clutch and slave cyl as well as the trans overfill and it shifts amazingly now.

I have owned a 2003 6 spd since new, with over 220,000 miles. Once in a great while when stopped mine will not want to go into gear (I usually start in second gear). I quick release of the clutch to move the gears and try again and it works.

I've read that old trans oil can cause difficulty shifting. I change my trans oil around every 50K miles and can't say I've ever noticed a change in shifting quality. The oil still looks new when I change it. I do have Fast coolers and do over fill a little.

Mine is still shifting normal after the initial episode. I do plan to change the gear oil in the trans, transfer case and both differentials pretty soon. I need to replace the reverse light switch when I drain it too. Ain't had backup lights in years....lol. How much do you overfill the trans? I don't know the number, but it is the cast iron 6 speed.