Nicholas, The truck will be visiting the mechanic soon. The mystery thickens as an added bonus to the clutch oil receptacle topping off, shifting gears has become a grinding contest and depressing the clutch pedal meets almost no resistance at all. The previous owner has told me that the clutch is activated by a hydraulic system, namely a slave cylinder? maybe that's the culprit?we shall find out soon. Thanks for your insight Red

The slave cylinder...if its inadequately housed the slightest leak would regress the clutch system back to the days of the model T. Grind and Ride... The person you got this truck off of didn't love this ranger. Its the little nit picky stuff, that drags us ever closer to the junk yard, because it'll seem like one little thing after another... but don't give up on that ranger. Once the tedius results have been dealt with... expect great things from it. The ex owner allowed these semificial things time to build up. little pings or whistles mean something where they're coming from your ranger. Generally, Rangers ride very quietly. No, clings and kinks, and pings or thuds.... get it? No humming from the undercarriage, or wobbly feelings... These are signs that your ranger needs a little extra that week. Even if its a good ol tank full of high test. (regular unlead runs a vehicle...premium runs all the nastiness out of a running vehicles system) Try it. Once a month I let it drink up a tank of high test, the results are substantial. Good luck over at the mechanic...Make sure he checks the tranny linkage, and the fly wheel... Nothing wrong with a once over. Make sure the clutch adjustment is in tune. Let me know how it goes...I'm interested .- Nick redwanec