2016+ Manual Tacoma Clutch Engagement Adjustment

How do you adjust where the clutch engages. Mine is nearly at the top and I can't stand it. The truck has 21k miles and I doubt it's that "worn". I think it was just set that high from the manufacturer.

I wanna lower it. Any help would be much appreciated. I am mechanically inclined, but I haven't looked down there or researched much yet.

I just figured, before I have to do all that, someone in here would have my answer by the time I get home.

Thanks in Advance!

 

It engages high meaning very soon and you want it to engage later after you push in the clutch?

 

YES!

 

Thanks brother.

 

You are not actually adjusting anything except pedal height and free play. While you are adjusting where it engages during the stroke compared to pedal height, you are not changing the fact that the clutch does not grab until right at the end of the master cylinder stroke.

Basically if you lower the pedal and adjust the free play, you are reducing the distance the pressure plate is lifting off the clutch disc because you have shortened the stroke of the MC and in turn shortened the slave cylinder stroke. This feels like you have moved it, but you have only changed the height of the pedal, this making it feel lower.

If you go too much, you risk not fully disengaging the clutch from the pressure plate and fly wheel and causing more wear and hard shifts.

Unfortunately going the other direction, if you don't move the pedal high enough, and leave no free play, you risk the clutch slipping as if you were riding the clutch with your foot.

You can go higher, but all that does is disengage the pressure plate further plus risk maxing out your slave cylinder. No matter how much you go, the clutch will not fully engage until the cylinder comes back out and the pressure plate fully presses the clutch back against the flywheel.

Clutch engagement point is fully dependent on friction material thickness and the relationship between the flywheel, pressure plate thickness. I even suppose throw out bearing thickness and release fork thickness would have a bearing on it as well. These can not be changed with a pedal adjustment.

To clarify, mine is at the top, i hate it, but can't stop it, i can only shift height and free play to make it the best it can be as far as feel goes. I'm at 8k. I'm concerned how long it will last considering it's already near the top, as it gets thinner this will only get worse.

 

I understand.

What I don't understand is how yours can be that bad already (mine as well). I know the general rule of thumb is that "the higher the clutch is to release, the more worn it is."

Kinda hard to believe that when I have a buddy's whose clutch (like ours) has been near the top since the beginning. He now has 98k miles on his 2017 and it's literally in the same exact spot.

Therefore, I don't believe our clutches are "that worn" already. It's just the point placement they put it at from the manufacturer. It really sucks.

Lastly, lemme ask you this-- when I park it, I rip the E-brake and then turn it off and just dump it into fourth. I always here it clunk into gear when off. Do you hear that as well? My F250 was so smooth (it did have upgraded clutch). But, I never heard this much in my 01 4cylinder Taco!

Weird.

 

I don't know what you're talking about with the clunk thing.

I know that if you have the clutch in and you are moving, it may clunk into gear since the transmission is still moving.

You may be experiencing the slip yoke settling when you stop.

If you let the clutch out really slow in first while stopped, with no throttle, you will feel the clutch start the grab right in the middle of the stroke. I think the accumulator is what gives that "top of the pedal" feel.

I'm deleting mine soon. There is a huge thread on it. I think @tonered makes the bypass kit, but there are plenty of ways to do it.

 

I'll let you know that i did adjust my pedal. I lowered it. 2 reasons.

1: it measured about 8 inches from the floor instead of the manuals specified 7 to 7.5

2. I like my brake and clutch the same height

I am going to tweak it though. Right now to fully disengage the clutch i have to mash my pedal into the floor mat. This is making the arch of my foot hurt. I put my pedal at 6.75 inches (below spec). I am going to move it to 7.25 and adjust the free play to give me more stroke. This will stop me from having the mash into the floor.

I also am measuring from the flstish spot directly under the pedal. The manual just says to measure to the floor, but there are bumps everywhere and it doesn't say which bump or dip to measure to.

Also, i cut the hell out of my thumb, i have tiny hands and it's still a tough spot to work.

 

The clunk is when the Taco is off, E-Brake already engaged and you just move through the gears - No Clutch!

 

im sure thts normal. I'll just adjust it for now and buy and new clutch next summer (when work gets extreme)

 

Probably just backlash. As you row the gears you are aligning them. They will move the drive shaft slightly since there is a level of backlash in the gears.

 

Sub'd... I think for masochistic reasons. Would drive me nuts in the worst way.

Did it start out this way or has it evolved? Engagement point geography is such a huge thing for me that I would not have bought it if it was like that at the point of purchase.

Good luck in your resolution OP...

 

After my test drive the salesman asked me what i thought. My response to him was, the clutch let's out a little high.

Mine had 300 miles on it when i bought it

 

Where does yours let out because, like stated above, my buddies let out high brand new and is at the same point 90k miles later.
Did you buy yours new?

 

^^Total agreement with this post.
I own an AT so i’m only spit-balling here.....What about bleeding the clutch at the master cylinder, then changing the fluid via the slave cylinder? All manufactures have been known to half-ass things at the factory so if there’s any air in the system it could make for a slightly higher pedal feeling.......

 

I feel like mine grabbed high too. 37,000 miles in and still grabs high but works fine. After doing my ADM it still grabs high but I feel it much better. It is a distinct point it grabs right at the top. It was mushy before.

 

Buddy of mine (that I mentioned above) and I both done exactly that - outcome still the same. But, definitely good advice brother. I just think it's the way they wanted it to be lol.

 

Let me pick your brain since you have a good grasp on how the clutch works. Does the accumulator delete mod change engagement point? If not higher or lower, maybe more concentrated? I noticed there was less friction zone, maybe even higher than where it used to be, after the ADM. thanks for any insight!

 

Remember that the engagement point is a physical thing that cannot be changed without changing something mechanically. The accumulator is more of a shock absorber. If you have no accumulator, and you dump the clutch, it will jar the engine, transmission, axle, etc.

So i think they put an accumulator in it to help lessen that jar

If you take your foot off the clutch really slowly, IE slipping it. Everything engages nice and smooth, great for comfort i suppose, but horrible for hill starts, driveability, but most importantly, kills your clutch.

That is what the accumulator is doing. They are making the wear item your clutch, something that has no warranty, rather than the drive train (something they pay to fix under warranty)

By removing the accumulator, you are taking it back to the good ol days, like my 87 4runner, the clutch is responsive both in and out, to what your foot is doing. it is predictable.

The accumulator seems to behave differently based on temperature and how far you push the clutch. if you blip it down, it has little response, if you floor the clutch, it dampens it to a point of making shifting troublesome.

so you will probably notice a "tighter" engagement window, depending on the speed of which you engage the clutch (lift your foot)

So it begs the question, why do they not have one for the 4cyl? Production cost? the 2.7 has been around a while, why change it? Torque of 4 cyl vs torque of 6cyl (lol torque) I dont know.