Clutch problem

Did you bench bleed cylinders before install. OE cyls come with bench bleeder fittings and instructions.

 

I did bench bleed.

 

But I guess if it was the hose it would never bleed

 

The plastic spring bushing and plastic end of Fork both are known to fail. You can add a lineal spring to the pedal. Use a hose and bottle or pressure bleed the slave cylinder. The bleeder crack and pump method SUCKS, air in.

 

This is the way I’ve always done it and never had any clutch issues except on this truck. Why or how would it suck air in?

 

If the slave bleeder valve is not fully closed before pedal bottoms it may suck air in. I use 3/8" hose attached to bleeder with other end in a jar with brake fluid covering the end.

 

They did away with the spring ideal and adjustable rods years ago the pressure plate on the clutch assembly has more than enough pressure to force the pedal back. Over adjusting the push rod on the slave will give you grief all that's needed there is slight clearance. I have seen clutch forks fail they sometimes break right at the pivot and when that happens you lose a great deal of travel. Because of the trans syncros it may go hard into forward but probably will be impossible to get into reverse without it grinding.

 

Forward and reverse seem to be the same way

 

OK that is possible as I have recently learned later transmissions had a synchromesh arrangement on reverse but I thought it was only the 6 speed. That would explain being able to do that without it grinding. But if it's hard to get into gear the clutch is not fully disengaged.

 

Any chance the pressure plate or broken or something?

 

@maineah On a first Gen if you disconnect the spring and push clutch in it will not return and the rod adjustment has not been done away with. Gen1 vs Gen3 or just your opinion?

 

Yeah if the air is bled, that was only thing that jumped out at me. Sorry man

 

Best to ignore what maineah said about pressure plate, rod adjust and spring being "done away with". Unless you dropped a 3rd gen 6 speed dual stick in your 1st gen Taco.

 

I think I’ll check the spring and the frame of the clutch assembly because I heard it can crack and cause issues

 

Did you check the clutch fork and make sure there isn't a crack at the pivot or where the slave cylinder makes contact with the fork? I just had a customer with the same situation and it was a cracked clutch fork at the pivot in the bellhousing.

 

I haven’t but I’ll get under there and see. I sure hope not

 

A dirty threaded connection just a tiny piece of dirt can cause air to be drawn in but not a fluid loss.

A bad bleeder valve can also suck air

The fact it works at times rules out most mechanical failures .

Broken clutch bracket could maybe just work now and then by pure chance.

Broken clutch forks don`t often fix themselves

The big clunky return spring will not cause a going into gear problem.

 

Ok with all that being said what would you recommend?

 

@Wyoming09 How about a clutch pedal that doesn't return to top and has to be raised by foot then works

 

Have you rounded up a pedal pusher so you can watch the slave cylinder movement ?

See if your getting full movement?

How does the pedal feel after things sit

You have checked no broken firewall or clutch pedal bracket to rule that out .

Pedal moves but the Master Cylinder does not get enough travel