Clutch Question

I have an 2003 4.3L trd tacoma 5 speed, bought it about 10k miles ago now has about 75k on it. Even when I test drove it I thought it had a hard clutch but lately it either seems to be getting worse or I am just getting tired of it.

It seems to catch all at once at the bottom end of letting the clutch out, I am an experienced manual driver so I know it is not my poor driving. It catches "hard" or all at once. I find it extremely difficult if in gravel to not spin the rear wheels. If I let me wife drive it (if) it is real herky jerky, shes a good stick driver as well but just not used to the truck like I am.

Any ideas?? this is my third taco, the other 2 were 4 cyl though, either way I have never had a vehicle drive like this.

 

So the clutch is engaging when the pedal is almost all the way out ? Or does it engage close to the floor ? Sounds like the slave releasing the throw out bearing is sticking, maybe try bleeding it (possible air locking?)

Any slippage or clutch chatter upon releasing ?......

Also I re read & is the pedal "hard" to depress ? If so sounds like your clutch assembly maybe ready to fail

& we know you meant 3.4 not 4.3......

 

Oh goodness, I did write 3.4, opps

It engages when it is almost all the way out, it is not hard to push just engages kind of hard or stiff, like it catches immediately. I have bleed the clutch master cylinder when I first bought it, it was filthy dirty and hard to get into gears sometimes. That improved when I did that. It is not as clean as i would like it to be but it's not terrible now. My current issue has always been there. I was going to replace the slave cylinder awhile ago as it is cheap, but the guy at advanced talked me out of it...

 

Engages when almost all the way out huh? Then if theres clutch chatter or slippage involved then almost certainly your on your way to a clutch R&R, in any case it sounds fatigued & worn out when it releases at the end of the clutch pedal......good luck

 

good grief... I have never needed to replace a clutch.

It catches just great, just all at once. Does it tend to be a pretty standard fix or do they typically find little odd parts that are worn out when they're in there? Does the pressure plate get replaced with that? I am completely dumb when it comes to anything transmission/clutch.

 

Haha, no problem dude, & yeah the "standard fix" for a clutch job is new friction disc (clutch) new throw out bearing, new pressure plate & not always but some times resuracing the flywheel is done when visual inspect. reveals heat cracks , blue burns (burns on flywheel that have a bluish color to them which could indicate warping) as a matter of fact I've had the flywheel re surfaced 99.9% of the time just to make the new install truly complete, might as well it isn't expensive & since your right there anyway so if you DO have to replace all clutch components it'd be kinda dumb not to I guess, it'd be a bummer to replace everything but doing the flywheel, put back together just to find out its warped(flywheel)

OH YEAH ALSO replace pilot bushing if applicable !!

 

thank you sir! Have great frickin friday!

 

You too man, hope I didn't bum you out with the info I gave.....