Anyone else think the 6speed is clunkier than 5speed?

I put over 111k miles and 9 years on my 2011 4cyl 5speed and got to the point I was able to shift smoothly without even using the clutch (I didn't make this a regular practice, just trying to emphasize). I purchased a 2013 6speed and swear no matter how careful or smooth I try to make it, this thing clunks, chugs, and funks it's way through the gears. Am I the only one that finds the 6speed fussier and noisier than the 5speed? Any pointers?

 

It is I will agree, but thats the nature of a stronger transmission. Biggest thing I found was slowing down shifts and doing less shifts with the 6 speed.

 

Not a bad idea, although I already feel like I'm driving it like a dump truck but perhaps I should slow down even further.

 

Interestingly, the 6 speed transmission that came with my 2011 wasn't good - notchy, caused a vibration in 1st gear when accelerating hard, then started to go and had to be replaced two years ago. The replacement has been amazing - smooth if you replace the fluid once a year, no vibrations, definitely less notchy.

 

I just bought my truck last week and have no prior experience with Tacoma's. I did manage to test drive a 2010 sport 6speed and a 2015 Off Road 6speed this year before I bought mine.
They were clunky too just like my 2012 I have now. I swear the 2015 wasn't as bad, but it only had 42K on the clock. Makes me wish I spent more seat time in the other Tacoma's to compare.
I ordered new shifter bushings to see if it cleans up the shifts a little, debating on ordering the URD short shifter kit. That's probably a lost cause though.

 

I have both, and i have also noticed the 5spd is smoother shifting and much more forgiving as far as clutch engagement/release goes. It took me a couple months before i could shift my 6spd smoothly, but it just takes some getting used to. You will start to get the feel for it, just give it some time

 

If you go with a short shifter, do the TRD one. It is a full replacement as opposed to modifying the stock one with the urd, so its a little stronger. I have read a few stories about the ball on the bottom of the URD ones breaking off and leaving you unable to shift your truck

 

Yeah, I came across a few of those theads about broken shifters and people welding them back together.

 

Have you changed the fluid lately? I swapped royal purple into mine and it made it so smooth haha

 

No I haven't. I bought it used at 96k miles and service records show differential fluids were changed about the 90k mark. I'm new to both this 6speed and 4wd systems (though dunno if 4x4 has anything to do with the transmission clunkiness).

 

I wonder if they lump the trans in with the diffs? Same fluid right? Who knows.

 

I put Redline in my tranny and it made it a ton smoother...

 

Redline MT-90 made a difference but I felt it could be better... then I added 200ml of Lucas additive which really helped the syncros bite and smoothed things out a lot, especially when things were up to temperature. Good result.

Some may hate on the Lucas but it made a big difference.

 

It is a clunky, notchy trans. Insane clutch chatter in 1st gear at low RPMs, wants to be perfectly aligned for 3rd, 6th isn’t long enough for good MPG, but it keeps chugging along. You definitely have to learn it’s shift pattern and slowwww down but it works.

No noticeable change for me between Redline and Mobile 1 oil.

Thanks for farming this out to Asin, Toyota!

 

I just got around to replacing my clutch. I'm at 90K and the throw out was chattering. When it was apart I was surprised at how worn out things were. The pressure plate fingers were all scored where the throw out rides, the flywheel and pressure plate faces has some hot spots. The friction disk was still in decent shape.

Fast forward, a flywheel resurface and a new clutch and it drives ten times better and the low gear chatter has gone away. I think that may be the pressure plate was just getting so weak it was letting things flop around in there.

I had already switched to MT90, I've run that for a long time. That stuff works well in Toyota stick shifts. But a fresh clutch made a huge difference. BTW, I sleeved my transmission extension for the throw out, there was a decent groove worn in it.

Aisin has made Toyota's transmissions for long time, back to the 1970s and probably earlier. The W56 in my 1991 was made by Aisin.

 

It really is a kick in the nuts having a tall first gear and just one OD gear. If you're going to put a tall 1st then at least also do two tall overdrives so you can compensate with 5.29 axle gears.

 

Just got into a 2013 6speed and I must say, thus far, not the biggest fan. It’ll take some adjusting to for sure. While not exactly what you originally mentioned, my last 2 Toyota 5 speeds have been great. The 6 speed does this weird “rev hang” thing that I’m not fond of. I’ll get used to it over time, but had to poke around on here for awhile to verify that that was normal. Cheers!

 

Yup, hence my "driving it like a dump truck" post earlier. Supposedly the ECM will "learn" your shifting style... dunno how much learning it'll do as a second owner at 96k miles.

I've heard disconnecting the battery will reset that learning algorithm... I just fear the rev hang will be even worse at the get-go.

All that to say, it's not near enough to dissuade me from a manual transmission. I'm more than happy to deal w/ the gripes and quirks of a standard than the hum-drum driving experience of an automatic. Been that way since my '99 Trans Am WS6 and won't be changing for my foreseeable future; something about that "dying breed" of drivers.

 

Preach!! Totally agree!! I’ve owned 2 manual jeep wranglers and now 3 manual Toyota trucks. Can’t stand driving a boring automatic haha

 

Everyone talks about the rev hang. On my last truck, which was a 22R-E/W56 I took the dash pot off to eliminate any rev hang (the throttle body plate would follow the pedal with zero delay) and actually put it back on not long after. Having a little damping is actually not bad.

I got my Tacoma at 42k (not 90k) and can't really say I notice the rev hang. In town it's actually not all bad, don't even have to clutch about half the time.

But you want a seriously bad rev hang the original map on our 2017 Subaru Forester was brutal. It would actual rev up between shifts, it was borderline dangerous. Subaru knew it too and reprogrammed the car, it's more like my Taco now. I think it's the necessary to have the rev hang otherwise the unburnt fuel would violate emissions.

In fact Subaru stopped selling the Forester with a stick shift this year, so the penalty for rowing gears is apparently dealing with rev hang.