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

Third reply.
I did just show my wife the photos of your beautiful white Tacoma. She said: WOW!!!!!! ". Then looked at me with a disgusted grimace. Why didn't I buy that white one like yours. I love my black TRD but yours sure gives mine a run for the money. I wouldn't bet. I could lose. Dannyblues

 

I drove an automatic TRD loaner two days. It was the absolute worst automatic I ever drove. Always hunting and shifting up and down constantly around town. It would be up shifting on my way towards stopped traffic before I had to apply the brakes. In the manual it shifts less and more smoothly; barely noticeable. And I can anticipate hills. Curves and stopped traffic ahead and chose the correct gear to maintain until I have to stop. Dannyblues

 

You said it all and far better than I could. Nice post.
Dannyblues

 

Try crawling up under there and checking all the linkage? Sounds like you've got a loose bolt somewhere, or something could be broken. Mine has slim to no play laterally and I mash the thing constantly

 

Checking lateral movement is so obvious I personally wouldn't even think of it. Nice post. Thanks. I don't have the problem but if it shows up I'll do as I read here. Dannyblues

 

Denouement and floating gears in one post!!! Man you are either a scholar and positively a semi truck driver. They're the only ones who know or call shifts without the clutch floating gears. I have a class 1 CDL with all the endorsements myself
Dannyblues

 

Uhhhhmmm by mashing it I meant slamming my foot down quickly and letting it up just as fast as I shift gears to smoke that full size truck trying to race me.

 

I have the same problem at the car wash
Dannyblues

 

You go girl!!! Right arm. Out of state. Or is it right on. Out of sight. I don't remember. The 1960's were a blur.
Dannyblues

 

Ain't that the truth. I lived in NYC for some years with a manual shift modified Nissan S-ER. I had even worn the shift pattern off the knob. Never worried about it being stolen. Thieves can't drive manuals. I'm thinking of a non descriptive white shift ball or one with the wrong five speed shift pattern on my six speed stick. Nasty guy. Dannyblues

 

People ask me when they see my six speed shifter if it's a manual and I tell them it's a new style experimental automatic with two brake pedals. One for each foot. Dannyblues. I'm nasty.

 

Amen. And women should learn how to drive them too. Widen the manual market. Did you know that world wide the manual transmission beats the automatic by 52 to 48 %. Great info at a cocktail party But I think they stopped having them in the late 1950's. Dannyblues

 

Haha. Thanks man.

I ordered a Pro grille last night. I'm ordering Bilstein 5100's tonight. Only doing a modest lift. Going 1 1/2" in front, and 1" in rear. I actually like the factory wheels, so I'll probably keep them for a while. The only thing I would consider replacing them with is 4Runner Pro wheels (or the FN Pro's)

 

Similarly the dealership followed my advice to adhere to the TSB-0088-16 bulletin and corrected the condition with the appropriate parts recommended by the service bulletin. Because two big wigs from the toyota corporation were present at my request I also had the mechanic immediately drain and filter my transmission fluid. No shavings or particles found. Then at my request with permission from those two corporate guys they refilled my transmission with fresh tranny fluid. ( I even asked the foreman if they used fresh or just refilled the transmission with my old filtered fluid. I don't trust the dealer. To save a buck I know they would use my old fluid. But the foreman assured me I received fresh fluid even though it wasnt indicated on my service record receipt ). Best I change it again myself when the weather is warm enough to get under the truck. Still snow on the ground here in northwestern Connecticut.

Best of luck to you. I've never had the stuck shifter issue after that TSB service was performed.
Dannyblues

 

Before you do the lift. Question.
If you place your Tacoma on level ground and put a level on it I believe you'll find the rear higher than the front. ( I assume for hauling or towing purposes which will lower the rear ).

But if you want a level unloaded appearance maybe lift it more in front and less in back. This way it will look level unless you do a lot of hauling and towing. I'm not an engineer or experienced mechanic but I've seen a properly leveled Tacoma and thought it looked right. ( the vehicle I saw on you tube was a high speed build that was more for racing and custom looks than for practical use however ) think about it. Maybe???? I dont know if this level lift will effect your steering geometry or working ability. As I said I'm not an engineer.

Good luck
Dannyblues

 

Back in November or December the Dealer gave me an Automatic Off Road to take on an extended test drive which I had for 3 days. Agree with you in it being the Worst driving Automatic I was ever in, constantly shifting up and down, also as soon as the odometer hit 54 Miles the Rear Diff started Howling at around 55 to 60.

 

Thanks. Glad it wasn't only me. I never drove any other automatic car or van that shifted that badly. I'm doubly happy I bought the manual. Dannyblues

 

Same here my friend, never would have bought if not a manual.

 

I hope the Tacoma expands its market for the now too rare and hard to come by manual transmission vehicles for many more years to come for drivers like us who enjoy the benefit of the full driving experience. I'm hoping to trade mine in for an identical 2019 or 2020 identical Tacoma. Exact in every way except the odometer reading. At 67 I dont know what Gods plans are for my longevity or what my financial condition will be in the next two or three years so I maintain this TRD as if it's my last vehicle

But I do hope they are able to release the available ponies on this new engine but without sacrifice on mpg

Many are demanding a diesel. Not my cup of tea personally but ive also indicated the installation of a V8 in the Tacoma. Maybe as a test performance model. But I'm sure the current 3.5 is capable of more. I've read of the orange virus. I don't understand it completely but it seems the 3.5 is very capable of more.
Dannyblues

 

I measured and the front is exactly 1" lower than the rear. If I go 1.5 and 1, I'll end up with front just .5 lower than rear, which is what I'm looking for.
As for towing and hauling, I'll haul a motorcycle occasionally, or tow a 6x12 enclosed trailer. If I have to tow/haul anything really heavy, I've got a 3/4 ton diesel at my disposal.