Hi Kevin, I wouldn't go to the bother of pulling the inspection cover; doubt if you could see any evidence anyway. From what you say, it sounds as though that truck needs to come down. If you were concerned about getting home last night, then it is probably on it's last leg for sure; something is definitely wrong. About the warranty; I’ll try to give you some idea of how Ford thinks (this is from my experience) and this is all going to come down to how well you get along with that dealer. Clutches and brakes are a touchy issue with any manufacturer, as they are a "wearable" & oftentimes an “abused” item. I. E. That gooseneck trailer you have hooked to the back of your truck. :>) Clutches are warranted for the first 12,000 miles; most dealers will cover to 36K just to keep the customer happy. So legally, Ford really does not have to warranty that clutch. However, on a diesel, the flywheel is considered part of the engine and it is warranted to 100K if it fails. So, if that service manager has his hat on right, he will write the service order up in such a way that the flywheel is showing as the "failing" part & the rest of the clutch parts are failing incidental to that original 'failing' part. It could conceivably be done. (Do you notice that I’m trying to be somewhat ‘careful’ here?) :>) Another point in your favor: Ford does not want to lose you as a repeat customer. It has been my experience that Ford will bend over backwards to get along with you, keep you happy and keep you coming back for your next vehicle purchases. Now on the other hand, if you should go to after market parts for anything (repeat, ANYTHING); you've just written your own set of divorce papers; from that point on, you are outside the loop as far as Ford sees it and you are totally on your own. For instance, Ford doesn't feel that they should warranty the left front brake caliper if you are pushing it via an after market fuel chip. This wasn't the way it was originally designed, and they want no part of it. What they are saying in effect, is that they do not warranty their product with someone else’s spoon stirring the soup. If I were you, and if you have less than 100K miles on your truck, I would go have a cup of coffee and a heart to heart talk with your dealer; because I’m bettin’ he will take care of you. Hope this helps and sure hope you get 'er going ‘cause you have tractors to haul! Allan
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