Manual transmission Fan Club and BS thread (All Generations Welcome)

Wow! I never heard of a synchronized reverse but then again I was under the wrong opinion that no synchronized transmission had a synchronized first gear either. Apparently as I was told even first is synchronized.

So why not reverse? Being able to get it into reverse while moving forward at any speed is something I've never experienced or tried even by accident.

I live in north western Connecticut and winters get cold. One time my clutch stayed on the floor briefly after I shifted into second. The tranny fluid is 75/90 - thick stuff.

I've also found it difficult to get it into reverse especially in the cold. Takes several tries sometimes across the neutral bar to get it into reverse. It seems to want to go into first.

Just my experience.

I'd hate to think I could accidentally put it into reverse when I was moving forward!!!! Now I believe anything is possible. Dannyblues

 

Indestructible!! Hey let's hope so. I too have never ever had any clutch or tranny problems on all the little jap rice burners I've had. Mostly corollas, Nissans like the Sentra ser's and another model plus an 85 Chevy -- 29 years - all manuals.

The 92 2.0 4 banger Nissan S-ER I had was really fast. I used to do long burnouts in place as it had a limited skip front wheel drive ( that used to pull the car sideways ). I beat a 350 Camaro off the line and at top end on the highway. I buried the speedometer at 150 mph at 8,000 rpm once. ( that's when I mashed the brakes as I saw a ny state police intercepter on my tail. He clocked me as I was stopping fast at 88 mph. Heavy fine and court costs and lawyer fees that time).

And even with all that abuse it was the only vehicle at 150,000 miles that had a clutch that worked but was pretty worn out.

Indestructible.... I hope my 2016 holds up as well. I drive real slow and easy nowadays. My license is clean too. Dannyblues

I meant to say limited slip not skip !

 

Agreed. I almost always shift smartly like a gentleman. Only I find it necessary to wind out first gear fast coming off a light with traffic behind you ( all automatics that keep accelerating while you're slowly shifting into second where that slight shift pause can cause them to rear end you if you don't get moving fast in first with as quick as the slow shifting Tacoma will let you. )

Otherwise I just single clutch at sensible speeds. Occasionally I double clutch downshifting on a long steep grade to avoid braking too much on what could be a slippery curvey 9 % grade. Double clutching then makes the transition smoother although you have to get the revs up pretty good before they fall fast in neutral before you complete your downshift. Dannyblues

 

Anyone else have a crunchy 2-3 up shift on their 3rd Gen? The only way I can get a smooth shift from second to third is either a very long pause between gears, or if I double clutch. All the other shifts are smooth.

 

Its funny how each truck is different. Mine is crunchy/notchy from 1 to 2 and smooth as silk from 2 to 3.

 

Good to know I'm not the only one. I've just gotten used to double clutching on that upshift and it's fine. Once the break in is done I'm gonna change to Redline MT-90 to see if that helps .

 

No problem with mine but the whole shift pattern is a bit more notchy than I'm used to. It's gotten better at 11,300 plus miles now. Getting into sixth causes me to shift in an awkward backhand kind of way and I have to be careful not to knock over my tall drink container in the first position in the cup holder. Dannyblues

 

Same here.

Frank

 

Yup.

 

Here's an inflammatory suggestion: Google for some videos on how a manual transmission works. Once you see how the gears, shafts and synchros work, you can answer a lot of these questions for yourself. Understanding beats having others tell you "do this, do that." You will see why double-clutching on big downshifts eases the wear on the synchros. You will see why you don't need to "blip" the throttle, just ease up the rpms before you pick the next gear. You will see why things "crunch" now and then. You will see why your transmission sometimes goes "halfway" into gear.

With all that said, every transmission has it's own personality. I've driven a bunch of sticks over the years. The Tacoma took a while to get used to its quirks. My recent acquisition is a GT350 with a Tremec box. Very short throws and it takes quite a firm hand to pick gears. It crunches most all the time. Bad? Nope! It's one of the best gear boxes I've driven. It just has a personality. Don't overthink things, it all becomes second nature in good time.

 

I changed my transmission oil at around 50K to Mobil 1. Wasn't really driving the truck to much at that point but I started hating nearly every moment of it. At around 73 I started thinking I would have to have to repairs on the transmission of just get rid of the truck. It wouldn't go into first if I was idling too long in neutral (Most red lines I didn't make. Shift to second and third would be smooth between turns in 5 or 10 ten minutes. Felt like I was gonna bend the shifter going into reverse.)

Was honestly thinking of getting rid of the truck. Finally read around some more and realized I should have done the right thing on the 50K maintenance and used MTP90 Redline.

The truck has been an absolute dream to shift on for the past 4K miles with the new oil in it.

 

I had a pretty bad N to 1 and 1 to 2. Replacing MT fluid with Amsoil has done wonders for me. It's so easy I'd say it's worth a shot if you wanna see a positive improvement.

OA

 

Since I had that TSB-0088-16 manual transmission stuck in gear problem that the dealer finally corrected at that time, about 11,200 miles I asked the mechanic to drain the hot transmission and use a painters cone filter screen to check for metal particles that may have been created by the stuck shifter issue. They did and there wasnt even any normally expected filings from the break in. Then they replaced the MT fluid with fresh Toyota 75/90 w. I asked that they didn't reuse my original, now filtered mt fluid to refill but guarantee me the refilled with fresh factory stuff. Since the fluid wasn't listed on my services receipt I was suspicious.

Is there a magnet on the MT transmission drain plug?? Dannyblues

 

Danny, maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't trust a dealer to actually perform those services as directed. In the past I've been lied to (and countless here have been lied to about having their automatic transmission fluid levels checked - which was quite an issue with the early 3rd gen ATs) and tend to have them either do the process infront of me, or provide me with a sample of the spent fluid. Did they show you the painters cone?

That fact that it wasn't on your receipt is suspect to me as well.

The MT drain plug does not have a magnet. So the only way to tell is to actually do what you asked of them.

OA

 

I agree completely. Only the fact that I made so much noise that Toyota HQ gave me a case number and sent two big shots from their HQ, one the district field service rep, and I was met by them, the service mgr from the dealership, the foreman and two mechanics. They were ordered by the HQ big shots to do exactly as I stated and immediately as the MT was still hot. But I still don't trust or believe them. Dannyblues

 

How much MT fluid? Is it 75/90 w? I heard before about that Amsoil being a great replacement tranny oil. Is it difficult to do? How do you get the heavy weight fluid in? Use a hand pump with in and out hoses and pump ball in the middle like the one I use to drain fuel from my tractor fuel tank? I never did it. I'd assume I'd have to have at least the front end of the truck lifted off the ground. Does it keep your warranty ok?
Thanks. Dannyblues

 

I actually just did this service myself over the weekend and tried to do an in depth write up to help others. Check this out: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-manual-transmission-6mt-fluid-change.481719/

I used Amsoil

$29 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 MT fluid. You'll need to purchase 3 quarts but you'll end up using just over 2.5. It's an easy service and really no need for a lift. It just depends on how comfortable you are being on your floor or driveway. All the parts and tools I used are detailed in the write up. Honestly it made a big difference in how my truck shifts. And the fluid is considered an equivalent to Toyota's specs so it should not affect warranty.

OA

 

Don't know on Toyotas, but I'm pretty sure even in the early 60s a 4-speed transmission on any GM, Mopar, or Fomoco had a synchro 1st gear. Only 3-speed gear boxes were non-synchro.

I'm a 5-lug 2.7L stick and I have no issues getting into 1st gear even at 20 mph, not that I would ever need to do that but I tried this morning to confirm. Pushed it gently towards 1st paused, gave it another firmer push and into 1st it went, no noise. What would be different with a 4x4 that it would be impossible for some?

 

Wow that's something. I've never owned a stickshift in 29 years of manuals only that could go into first at 20 mph! I believe you especially when you tried it just to prove to yourself it could be done

Until just the other day I always believed all manual full synchro gear boxes had a non synchro first gear and that is why it's so hard to get into first unless you are stopped or going no more than 4 mph. My TRD sport 4x4 balks and resists or makes grinding noises if I try to put it into first except for a dead stop or near stop like a 2 mph roll.

Each vehicle and transmission have their own personality I'm sure after reading all these posts and a lifetime of experience.

To avoid stopping and putting it into first as I've posted before I do an illegal rolling stop say at a stop sign when the intersection is clean and green and my visibility is long. I slow to as low as 4 mph but usually 6 to 8 mph and feign a stop by remaining in second and at this slow speed I often have to put in the clutch just before the engine bogs down and then give it gas still in second as I slowly release the clutch. It's like starting in second gear but at a slow roll that's just enough not to strain the engine or drivetrain. I learned that illegal but effective maneuver from a NY state trooper.

He also told me about the illegal anticipating the green start. You are at a stop light that's red. But you watch the side of that stop light that controls the adjacent traffic. When you see their side go from green to yellow to red but before your ref light goes green you quickly stray away. It's like watching the Christmas tree at the drag strip where they always anticipate their green as the staging lights move down towards green. Their wheels are always spinning before it's green but they don't cross the start line actually until it really is green.

Simple. Easy. A bit illegal. And potentially dangerous as I've seen many a speeding car or motorcycle that's at that adjacent side come roaring through just as their light goes red but before their adjacent traffics light goes green. Of course I've seen plenty when the adjacent traffic still blasts through a long standing red light hoping the adjacent traffic pauses long enough ( as I do now ) to allow them to get by without a collision.

Years ago I blasted off a stop light just an instant before it turned green employing that anticipating the green maneuver on a fast motorcycle. . I was racing a 350 Nova. By the time he had his foot off the gas and long before the wall of cars pulled away long after I left the light I was half a block or more down the road at 70 mph. Suddenly a 64 Oldsmobile made an illegal left turn right in front of me. He was only observing that wide wall of cars just leaving the stoplight half a block a way and thought he had plenty of time to clear his turn into an illegal turn maneuver that had a no turn sign. He didn't see me only a few feet away because he was only looking for cars! Not joggers, bicycles, kids, or motorcycles. I broadsided him and got crushed between the motorcycle that swerved around sideways after the impact and before I became air bound over his rear trunk. Motorcycle wrecked. Me wrecked more. That was November 1987. The owner of that old 64 olds claimed I did $2500 worth of damage to his car with my body alone. Believe me his car looked it too even though the cars total value was probably $200.

Bottom line I shift into first at a near or dead stop. I rarely do the rolling stop maneuver and never do the anticipating the green trick either. Nowadays I even pause just a bit when the light turns green and I'm first in line just in case some nut is trying to pass that adjacent side on a red light. I always look for joggers, kids, deer, bicycles and motorcycles ALL year round when driving. On my motorcycle I try not to be first in line at a stop light if possible and I pull away slowly along with the cars on my side at their speed.

Some experience is hard won. Dannyblues
P. S. I won that motorcycle law suit and had my medical bills paid and got $28,000 for the suit. I was out of work for ten weeks on crutches and a cast in my right arm following surgery.

 

My house has a steep winding drive way. I have to slow down to about 10 mph to make the last corner while climbing up and I don't have enough torque to pull the last corner in 2nd gear so I clutch in, blip the throttle to about 2500 rpm and it slips right into first and I throttle away up the last incline. It took some learning to get this shift right in my 2016 even after 20+ years of driving manuals. So I know for a fact that you can hit first on a downshift at at least 10 mph if you rev match.