4.0 manual transmission, stalled then wouldn't start

A few days ago, I was out wheeling in snow. I made a good decision to turn around when the drifting was consistently more than I could drive. I had to back out a bit more than 1/4 mile to a reasonable turn around. The turn around had plenty of trees to winch off of, so I just kinda went for it. I got stuck. I tried to drive out by feathering the clutch at near idle rpm. Stalled. No surprise. Repeat multiple times.

I stalled it probably 4 times in less than 2 minutes. Nothing new. Then, the truck simply wouldn't start. No click, nothing. Lights worked, hvac was working, etc. Battery connection was solid. I turned it off after a couple tries and let it sit a couple minutes. Nothing. After letting it sit for about 45 minutes, I tried again and it started like nothing had happened. Didn't want to stall again, so I got on the trail with a couple winch resets and spinning wheels.

It's my daily driver and it has started without hesitation every time since.

Anyone have any idea why it didn't want to start? ECU, fuel pressure? Gremlins? Truck has always been super reliable.

 

Nobody?

 

Maybe the starter is starting to go?

 

Could be an intermittent issue with the clutch switch.. or the starter itself

Fuel pressure and ECU aren't really a concern when the starter won't even crank

 

I wonder if it was the clutch switch too. If it happens again, try the clutch switch bypass and see if the starter engages.

 

Good point. I did try this. Nothing.
IIRC, the light on the switch didn't come on though.

Starter was my thinking at the time, but no issues since.
Knocking on 195K, so it might be time to change out the starter as preventative maintenance.

 

Update:
Had the same problem today. A pattern is beginning to form.
First, this is not an OEM clutch. It's a Uniclutch twin disc clutch. This problem is only occurring when I'm wheeling and heating up the clutch. It's snow wheeling season here, so there's a lot if clutch feathering, and reversing happening.

It seems that perhaps something is heating up and expanding? (I don't really know how these things work) My reasoning is that when I get the clutch hot, it starts engaging much lower, like at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Its seems as if the clutch heats up to a point where even depressing the pedal to the floor doesn't get it to completely disengage (maybe).

Here are the symptoms I pinpointed today:

When clutch is hot, depressing the pedal at idle stalls the truck - in gear or not.
Once stalled, truck needs to sit for a period of time before it will start again.
When this occurs, clutch start cancel button does not work. It lights up, but starter won't turn over. No click, nothing. (This one puzzles me).
After sitting for a bit (anywhere from a couple minutes to over 20 minutes - I think this depends on how hot the clutch gets), the truck acts 100% normal - until I work the clutch and heat it up again.
Normal driving, and even occasionally stalling the truck, does not cause these issues.

Please tag anyone who might know more about clutch issues than me.
Thanks!
@gearcruncher
@Torspd

 

@Lucario Runner

 

When in that scenario, the clutch start cancel button is used, is the transmission in neutral? Obvious question but just want to be overly clear.

Have you contacted UniClutch?

 

Makes me curious about the throw out bearing. When have you bled it last? Let's say you go out there and bleed it right now. Get a video of the color of the fluid that comes out, or at least some photos.

By chance is your bellhousing open and allowing a lot of snow to pack in? Then it has to melt out? Seems odd, but I had seen some weird stuff.

 

I doubt it is the clutch disks and hubs swelling and expanding so much that they cause a seizing of the input shaft, while it is in neutral. That would be very odd.

 

have you tried the good ole bang on the starter when this happens. Could be the starter solenoid getting hot due to excess heat from the clutch and getting messed. That stated if the clutch doesnt disengage and you arent in neutral things cant spin.

Bleed the clutch.

 

How are your electrical connections? I would start there

 

Might need to inspect the starter thoroughly.

 

Depressing the clutch is purely mechanical, except the clutch switch which only functions to check for a closed circuit when starting, and should have no effect on the operation of the vehicle when running. I'd bleed the clutch first, all the pedal pumping from being in the snow, there's probably an air-bubble that preventing the clutch from fully disengaging, and the added resistance of not fully disengaging causes the truck to stall. That's my guess for the cutting off when clutch is depressed concern. The concern of it not starting until it cools down sounds exactly like a starter motor when there's a contact issue. It could be the solenoid or the brushes, either way with your mileage, I'd be looking for a starter motor to replace the current one. Let us know what you find.

 

In regards to the clutch pedal travel, it sounds like the spring fingers on the pressure plate are getting weak when hot. So even though you're pressing the pedal down, it isn't translating into enough fulcrum movement to release the disc

And that could possibly prevent the starter from working because it's can't spin the engine if the clutch isn't fully disengaged

 

You'd still hear the noise from the starter solenoid and it would still try to crank the engine, the started is powerful enough to be used to move the truck, even if there was a clutch problem the vehicle would lurch when the started was commanded, based on OP's description that doesn't seem to be happening.

 

I was focusing on the symptom of the clutch pedal engaging lower and lower as things get hot. If there's no fluid leaks anywhere that almost has to be an issue with the clutch itself.

Whether or not that relates to the starter is harder to prove.. I get it. Just theorizing a way to connect the two issues

 

Clutch was installed about a month and a half ago. I flushed the brakes and clutch a few days after.

I'll bleed the clutch again, and check the connectors on the starter. If all seems well, I'll replace the starter. I have a tip to Moab planned in 2 weeks. Gotta get this resolved.

Thanks everyone!