Can You Adjust When the Clutch Lets Go?

I've had my 2013 manual transimission Tacoma for about two weeks now and I find the clutch highly annoying. Compared to my 2001 Tacoma and any other car I've owned, the clutch on my 2013 "lets out late"... i.e., it's not until the clutch is almost fully depressed that the car will actually go. I've been driving with a manual transmission my whole like (over 20 years) and I'm finding the clutch in my new truck is really hard to get used to.

Is there a reason for the clutch letting out so late? Can it be adjusted to "let out early"?

 

Be prepared for the pedal to start squeaking. Mine started at about 8k miles on the ODO. Just lube it up every once and a while and you'll keep the squeak at bay. There is a TSB for the squeaky clutch but it is only for some 2012 and older. my vin # is out of the range and im sure your 13 is too. Maybe they'll extend it or the dealer will fix mine if I go in and complain...

I'm not sure on the adjustment, I hear ya, it is rather annoying that the clutch engages at full dump basically. I've gotten somewhat used to it but still find the 6 speed to be a rather unusual beast when it comes to driving it smoothly.

 

My clutch on my 2001 squeaked almost the entire time I owned it... <sarcasm>I'm glad to see Toyota came-up with a solution for that</sarcasm>. At least on my old truck, getting a car wash with an underbody flush made the problem worse. The squeak was caused by two metal parts rubbing on each other with no lubrication, which was obviously made worse by washing everything.

My truck is a base model 5 speed manual, I'm not sure if that makes any difference.

 

From the FSM:

ON-VEHICLE INSPECTION
1. INSPECT AND ADJUST CLUTCH PEDAL SUB-
ASSEMBLY
(a) Lift the floor carpet.
(b) Check that the pedal height is correct.
Pedal height from asphalt sheet: 168.5 to 178.5 mm (6.634 to 7.028 in.)
(c) Adjust the pedal height.
(1) Loosen the lock nut and turn the stopper bolt until the height is correct. Tighten the lock nut.Torque: 25 N*m (250 kgf*cm, 18 ft.*lbf)
(d) Check that the pedal free play and push rod play are
correct.
(1) Depress the pedal until the clutch resistance begins to be felt.
Pedal free play:
5.0 to 15.0 mm (0.197 to 0.591 in.)
(2) Gently depress the pedal until the resistance begins to increase a little.
Push rod play at pedal top:
1.0 to 5.0 mm (0.039 to 0.197 in.)
(e) Adjust the pedal free play and push rod play.

(1) Loosen the lock nut and turn the push rod until the free play and push rod play are correct.
(2) Tighten the lock nut.
(3) After adjusting the pedal free play, check the pedal height.
(4) Connect the air duct and install the lower finish panel.
(f) Check the clutch release point.
(1) Pull the parking brake lever and use wheel chocks.
(2) Start the engine and allow it to idle.
(3) Without depressing the clutch pedal, slowly move the shift lever into the reverse position until the gears engage.
(4) Gradually depress the clutch pedal and measure the stroke distance from the point that the gear noise stops (release point) up to the full stroke end position.
Standard distance:
25 mm (0.984 in.) or more
(From pedal stroke end position to release
point)
If the distance is not as specified, perform the
following operations.
Pedal Height, Push Rod Play, Pedal Height Adjustment Point
Push Rod Play and Free Play Adjustment Point, Push Rod Play, Pedal Free Play 25 mm (0.98 in.) or more Release Point, Full Stroke End Position

• Check the pedal height.
• Check the push rod play and pedal free play.
• Bleed the clutch line.
• Check the clutch cover assembly and disc
assembly.

 

I have a post TSB 2012 with the worst squeak possible. The Stealership was really hesitant about fixing it since i already had the "good" one. But after bringing it in squeaking a few times i got a new clutch pedal and master cylinder out of it. So far the problem is gone. If you want to take the time to complain a lot, I bet they would fix it for you.

 

Yes you can! Actually Jimmyh posted it but hear it is in layman's terms. I just adjusted the clutch pedal free play or the clutch pedal engagement point, it was driving me crazy. I've owned my 06 six speed for a few months bought it used with 173,000 I just figured it needed a clutch. But I did a couple clutch tests and towed my boat several times the clutch never slipped and I never smelt clutch. I bled my clutch slave, searched this forum and never really got a good answer but found that plenty of people with the same problem. So here's how you do it, you need a 12mm and a 14mm combination wrenches look under the clutch pedal arm (inside the cab) you'll see a rod with the 12mm jam nut and a 14mm square end above the jam nut loosen the jam nut twist the rod by hand til you have a couple inches of free play, free play is the down ward travel on the pedal until you feel resistance. Start your truck in neutral make sure it goes in gear and lets out where you like it shut your engine off and tighten the jam nut and your done should take all of five minutes.

 

great info, going to try this weekend.
Thanks!

 

So, how did it go?

I like pictures:

 

Thank you! So freaking simple, yet so hard to find online. Now I feel dumb not looking under there sooner. I added a small spacer to the top of the free play adjustment stop (labeled "pedal height adjustment point" in the above diagram) to eliminate the slack this procedure created. Now the pedal is much better to operate.

 

I hate to dig up an old post but I hate asking the same questions in new posts even more.

My manual rig has the most wonky clutch I've ever had the pleasure of using. The thing's engagement point is right at the top as you begin to depress the clutch. I attempted to adjust the Free Rod Play and that seemed to fix the engagement point slightly but had a side effect of making my pedal feel like it was dangling on a string. The pedal flopped around like I had disconnected it form the system.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Exact same thing on my 2015, when i adjusted the rod it moved the engagement point down but then the pedal had almost no resistance so I have just been living with it engaging all the way at the top.

 

I had no problem with getting my TSB done on my clutch it is a 13 and way out or warranty

 

Mine's 10 years old with 130,000 miles. Not sure they'll jump at the chance to work on a truck that old. Mine makes all sorts of crazy noise from the TOB and the pedal feel is absolutely crazy like nothing else I've ever driven. I may try it just to see what happens.

 

if it ant broken don't fix it!

 

That, my friend, is NOT the TW way....

If it ain't broke, we fix it 'til it is!

 

Oh, it's definitely broken. Watching someone else try to drive the truck is comical.

 

Wanted to bump this thread.

Followed the instructions by stixnstrings (and jimmyh) and worked fabulously. And like abbazaba14, I saw that there was free-play in the pedal travel before engaging the plunger, so i took a thick washer and nut (m8 x 1.25 ?), and placed them on the exposed threads of the "pedal height adjustment point" where the clutch pedal arm contacts. Now the pedal rests about 2" down from where it was originally, which is much more comfortable as there isn't any free play and though the engagement is still a little high for my taste, it's leagues better than it was. I now feel comfortable letting others drive it without worrying to tell them that its a pain in the ass to clutch-in/out.

 

Hate to bump an old thread, but I've got a question on clutch pedal adjustment. I was going to do this about a month ago, but ran into an issue. I was going to adjust the bumper on the end of the pushrod, but the bumper wouldn't turn after the lock nut was loosened. It would turn but there's a square nub that interfaces with a square hole on the back of the clutch pedal.

Are you supposed to push in the pedal to turn the bumper? Or do you turn the pushrod and the adjustment occurs because the bumper is stationary?

 

If memory serves me once you loosen the jamnut the you turn the rod in and out, just make a paint line on the rod so you can see how far you turned it.

 

It's been so long I don't remember but I think shakerhood is right. As mentioned, mark it before starting. It doesn't take much to make a difference - two to three full turns would probably get the grap point right to the floor (which is probably not where you want it to be).