New clutch disengagement question. . .'99 4.0 OHV/5-spd. manual

[atomicjoe23]

Just finished changing the flywheel, pilot bearing, clutch disc, pressure plate, and slave cylinder in my '99 4.0 OHV/5-spd. manual 4WD Ranger. . .after almost 190,000 miles it finally decided to give up the ghost.

I wanted to make sure everything was working properly before I put the transfer case, exhaust, driveshafts, and inner fenders back in so I thought I make sure the clutch was disengaging. I can see the slave cylinder pressing on the pressure plate fingers through the inspection port and the travel seems to be pretty good (based on the Perfection videos in this forum that state travel is around .060". . .I was surprised it was that little travel), but the output shaft of the transmission is still spinning. . .is it normal for the output shaft to spin if the driveshafts are not hooked up and the vehicle is on jackstands. I only ask because I have noticed that sometimes when I have had a car/truck on jackstands in neutral that the drive wheels will spin a little.

I have gravity bled about 2 1/2 master cylinder volumes through the slave and I'm not getting any more air bubbles. . .the clutch pedal still feels a little soft to me so I'm letting it sit over night and gonna bleed one more time tomorrow. . .and I can shift between gears without any resistance.

So does this sound normal or is the transmission output shaft spinning an indication of a problem??? It might be a silly question, but I thought maybe just the resistance of the drivetrain might be enough to keep the tranny from kind of idly due to whatever reason. . .normally.

This is the first time I have ever checked this before putting a vehicle completely back together so I'm a little curious and don't really wanna put it all back together just to take it apart again.

Thanks for the help.

 

[4x4junkie]

Any slight amount of contact between the clutch disc and the pressure plate or flywheel while the engine is running can cause the transmission to spin if it's completely free of any drag from the axles, yes.

Try putting the trans in 4th gear (engine off) and see if you can turn it's output shaft while someone sits in the cab with the clutch depressed. If you can turn it, all is well.

 

[atomicjoe23]

Thanks 4x4Junkie. . .

. . .as it turns out I have bigger problems than just the clutch. . .

. . .after I went for a test drive I discovered what the horrible noise I thought was the clutch letting go actually was; it was 5th gear going away.

I have to pull it all back apart and rebuild the tranny. . .oh well; it was on my list of things to learn sooner or later. I was hoping later, at my leisure, on a spare transmission and not on my daily driver!!!