5 speed problems

96 4x4 Tacoma with 160000 miles on it. You can stop somewhere and put it in neutral. When you go to take off. Press the clutch, and go to put it in gear. I have to force it and I hear a thud. But if I leave it in gear when I stop, its no trouble to take off. Anyone know the deal???

 

Hydraulic assisted ? Check the clutch master cylinder fluid resevoir . The fluid should be clear , not dirty and black .
If the resevoir is low , you have a leak .
Check under the dash where the master cylinder push rod comes through the firewall .
There should be an adjustment under the dash on the pushrod to make adjustments to your clutch effective travel
Check the line going to the slave cylinder and the condition of the slave cylinder .
Those are the easy things to check .
Next is the clutch .
Has the clutch ever been replaced ?

 

Mine does the same thing. Always have. I think it is just the input shaft still spinning slightly after the clutch is pressed and the syncros and gears line up. Never grinds. Switching to a synthetic gear oil may help things.

 

Would putting it in gear on a hill and seeing if it rolls when you release the clutch pedal and are not applying any brakes signify anything as far as the clutch goes?

 

My Ranger did that until I replaced the slave cylinder...and clutch...and master cylinder.

The bonehead engineers at Ford thought it would be a grand plan to put the slave cylinder INSIDE the transmission housing, so when the slave goes, it pees brake fluid on the clutch and takes it along as well. I probably could have gotten by with the original master cylinder, but decided to go new top to bottom. As I understand it, the Taco's slave cylinder is on the outside, so check to see if you have leaks there. If so, you should be able to get by just changing the slave cylinder. Much easier and cheaper!

 

Clutch has been replaced along with master and slave cylinder 15000 miles ago. Checked fluid. Clutch doesn't start grabbing until top of travel.

 

I think im having the same issue you are and if so iv been told its normal for these trucks... When your coming up to a stop sign and still in motion you put it in neutral and cost to the stop light. With the truck still in motion (around 10mph) if you go to put it back in first, it wont budge into 1st until the truck is damn near a stop. Is this whats going on? If so ill tell you what i was told.

 

No when I sit at a light I put it in neutral. And let out on the clutch so all I have to hold is the brake. When light turns green, I press the clutch, try to put it in first(that's when I have to shove it in gear). After I take off its fine. And also if its rolling, its slides in gear. But not if I'm stopped

 

Yep. All after its warm

 

O ok just though id ask, cuss from what i hear 1st gear for these trucks gets kinda locked out when you get above a certain speed. Iv been told its because you can start out in 2nd gear at damn near a complete stop. Also its to prevent accidental engagement of first at high speeds.

 

Man, that is exactly what the Ranger did before the slave went out. Finally, it wouldn't go into any gear when stopped. I had to put it in reverse, push in the clutch, and hit the key to start it...in gear! I only did this because I had to get it out of the garage and into my shop to fix it.

I know you just replaced all that, but it sure sounds like clutch hydraulics to me. Is the fluid down any in the master cylinder? I would guess you would see leaks on the garage floor with the Toyota since the slave cylinder is external. My Ranger never leaked out enough for anything to drip on the floor but the inside of the bell housing was wet once I got it apart.

When it first starting acting that way, I bled the line and topped off the master cylinder. It actually seemed to help for a few days, but I was just delaying the inevitable.

Hope you get it worked out. I know it is a PITA when you are trying to ram the darn thing into gear at a stop light and there are a dozen vehicles in line behind you. I always imagined they thought I was some dumb kid who didn't know how to operate a manual transmission instead of a 60 year old who started out double clutching a Model A when he was 12 (no synchros on those old girls!). Anyhow, good luck with your truck.