Clutch question

[Cicada]

I have a '95 Ford Ranger, 2wd, manual transmission with 236,000+ miles. Saturday, I had trouble getting it into gear. Got home and found the reservoir was empty. I added DOt3 to it and It is still sticky and hard to shift. I sometimes have to shut the vehicle off to get it into a gear. Did I miss something in adding the DOT3, or do I have other possibilities?

[Macgyver55]

Did you bleed it after adding the fluid? If not, there is probably air in the system causing the clutch to not disengage all the way. Its possible that continued use may work the air out in time, but bleeding it is a better option. In any case, if it was completely empty you probably have a leak in either the master or slave cylinder. Check for wetness around both and the line in between to find the source.

[Cicada]

Thanks for the quick response. Sorry, but I have a first grade comprehension of auto mechanics. How do you bleed the lines?

Also, when I filled it, the rubber bladder forced some back out and the line is wet from that.

[delcecchi]

Taking it to a mechanic might be the easiest... But if you want to try it, google bleed clutch 95 ford ranger and some youtube videos show up

here is the first result. There are several others.

[NIBOWMAN]

If your reservoir was empty it usually means that your slave cylander is bad. It is located inside your bell housing behind the clutch. You must remove the transmission to get to it. While you are there replace the clutch. You've already done almost all the labor. Then bleed the slave. Bleeding can be a pain. Before you do any of this see it you can see where it is leaking. I may just be the line.