Truck issue

[FlightSimBoy]

Hmm, I know some of you have vehicle experience, so lets see what you think.

My truck (1999 Ford F-150 4.2L V6 5-Speed manual) is having some issues. In any gear, when I press the accelerator, the RPM (from what I hear, I don't have a tachometer so I have no idea how many RPMs I'm getting) goes up really high and then back down to what I consider below normal for my truck. What could cause the RPMs to shoot up really high and then back down? This is most noticeable in 4th and 5th gear.

I've also noticed something else.. It seems like it is using less gas than usual. I usually get 20 MPG, but at it's current rate, I'm getting about 23 to 24, which is odd for a truck that size.

I have some vehicle experience myself, and to me this sounds like a fuel injector issue.

Possible causes?:
I changed the oil 2 weeks ago
I used STP Fuel Injector cleaner 3 weeks ago (could this be kicking in finally?)
Belt and or chain slippage? Been awhile since the belt was changed (don't remember how long)
Clutch going out? (The clutch now has a squeaking noise that never occurred before this.. But its coming from the inside, almost like the clutch pedal needs oiled.. Not the entire mechanism.)

I know I probably got an extra 1 MPG when I put air in my tires (they had 30 PSI.. They're supposed to have 40... I put in 38 because it was warm when I put air in them, and it was supposed to get colder later...)

Ehh.. This is weird.. Any suggestions?

AHHH

Had my neighbor look at it... Well..... Turns out the clutch disengages about an inch from it being fully out... Which is not right at all.. So, the clutch could be going out or it could be the clutch plate.

Worst case scenario, drop the transmission, replace the entire clutch system (plate, clutch, gaskets, etc..) A few hundred bucks.

Best case scenario: It isn't the plate or the clutch, its a bolt that slipped somewhere and I can readjust the clutch myself. Free.

 

[Rubber314Chicken]

First thing I thought when you said the RPM's shot up when you gave it gas is the clutch is slipping.

 

[FlightSimBoy]

Yep.. Looked at the parts I need to fix it.. Anywhere from 400 to 700 for the clutch plate if I need one, 100 to 300 for the clutch. Worst case 1000 bucks not including labor costs. I don't even want to think about labor costs because according to my neighbor, the tranny needs dropped (that sounds dirty ) to fix it.

Is it something I could do myself? Yep. I know where and what. But I don't have the equipment to do so. So I'm screwed. I also don't have the money, nor will I have the money for at least a year, if not longer.

 

[Tommy Boy]

Yep.. Looked at the parts I need to fix it.. Anywhere from 400 to 700 for the clutch plate if I need one, 100 to 300 for the clutch. Worst case 1000 bucks not including labor costs. I don't even want to think about labor costs because according to my neighbor, the tranny needs dropped (that sounds dirty ) to fix it.

Is it something I could do myself? Yep. I know where and what. But I don't have the equipment to do so. So I'm screwed. I also don't have the money, nor will I have the money for at least a year, if not longer.

Technically you could do it yourself in the driveway, drop the tranny with a floor jack and put it on jackstands and such. But you could get in over your head if you've never done it before. It's a fairly complicated job. If it were me, I wouldn't do it if I've never done it before, or don't have help from someone who knows what to do.

Basically you need to remove the driveshaft, take all the bolts out from around the tranny bellhousing and remove the tranny. Sounds simple but sometimes you have to remove other parts as well, like you might have to remove a part of the exhaust if clearances are tight to make it easier to get the tranny out. Also if it's a 4wd truck then you'll have a transfer case to deal with as well. There are a lot of things that could come up, but if you're hell-bent on doing it yourself then maybe you could talk to your neighbor and he could give you some advice and tips on what to do/what to watch out for, that sorta thing.

 

[FlightSimBoy]

My moms boyfriend has his own garage with every piece of equipment I need to do this (except the parts of course, but I'll eventually buy those.) He is also a mechanic himself, and knows a hell of a lot more than my neighbor actually. I've taken a look at it, and it looks like the exhaust might cause a space issue. And its only 2WD (UGH!!) so no problems with a transfer box.

I've done something major like this before (changing a motor could be considered a major project, right? Ugh, I hate 3.1 engines.. 1991 Pontiac Gran Prix... YAY.)

 

[bullzi]

Good luck to ya, sounds like that'll be a blast