PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

My friend @Gwyns04 has a 2004 Tacoma 3.4L/5-speed, but she can't remember her password and she doesn't have time to go on TW right now.

The truck has a little over 161K miles and can be driven with little issue (I've driven it before but not since this clutch issue arose), but Gwyn says it feels like the clutch is slipping. Her teenage son, who will be getting the truck once he gets his license, thinks it's the "clutch basket" or something; I can drive a stick shift, but I have never owned one and don't know anything about working on them.

Gwyn has an appointment with my mechanic in January to get the clutch replaced; Her son doesn't think the clutch needs to be replaced, having driven the truck himself, and thinks replacing it is a waste of money. What do the people of TW think?

 

I assume it's the original clutch? 161k miles on a clutch is about average, maybe even a little above average. Some people get well over that but usually with mostly highway miles.

Does it have trouble getting into gear? Burning clutch/paper smell? Revs high in gear but doesn't accelerate? Those symptoms plus 161k on it make me think its time for a new clutch.

 

So, the truck was originally purchased used by my friend's ex-husband; who unfortunately passed away in the fall of 2019. The kids by default got the truck since their dad didn't have a will; My friend's son seems to think that his dad had the clutch replaced after buying it, but he doesn't know for sure, and I have no idea how many miles were on the truck when the ex bought it.

It may or may not have a new clutch; Also, do you know what a "clutch basket" is? My knowledge of manual transmissions beyond how to drive a vehicle with one is rudimentary, and I've never heard of that component.

 

On another note, my mechanic is charging $1,700 to replace the clutch; I actually think this is a good deal and Gwyn does too (My mechanic Pete replaced an engine in another car she owns for $4,300). Pete estimates that the dealer would charge about $3,000 for replacing the clutch.

 

Update; Gwyn says that when she shifts while accelerating, it feels the clutch is just spinning aimlessly before it reengages the transmission with the engine.

 

I've never heard of a clutch basket before. Quick Google search shows it as relating to motorcycle clutches.

If she has an appt with the mechanic I'm sure he'll know what to do when he sees it. It sounds like a bad clutch to me, even if it's been replaced before a clutch can go bad quick if the driver is inexperienced or really hard on it

 

Go figure; Son is absolutely obsessed with motorcycles...

 

Gwyn's son acquired this lawnmower and a leaf blower for free, with the intention of getting them running and selling them for a profit; The lawnmower appeared to be in good condition and almost new, and the story I got was that it was left outside for a long time and got rained on...

Gwyn's son and his friend could not get it started and gave up; After looking more closely at this mower, it appear that it has not been very well taken care of, so I'm just gonna scrap it tomorrow...

 

I attempted to tear down the lawnmower but didn't get very far, only getting the handlebars and two wheels off; I knew there was gas in it, but not as much as there ended up being, and when I turned the mower on its side to make the teardown easier I made a mess in the garage. My dad was not happy about this and I aborted the mission after cleaning up...

 

The underside of the mower was absolutely caked with clumps of grass (will post pictures tomorrow)...

 

The story behind the leaf blower is that like the lawnmower it was acquired for free, but that Gwyn's son also couldn't get it started and came to the conclusion that the engine was seized...

 

I had to destroy this thing to get the engine out, because I was low on patience, and the engine was all I was really interested in...

 

Hard to believe this tiny 2-stroke engine can blow 170 mph; Also, it wasn't seized...

 

Based on the appearance of the blower overall, I got the impression that it hadn't been very well taken care of by whoever Gwyn's son got it from, but the blower mechanism turned freely and the piston went up and down. It didn't always turn over smoothly, but it certainly wasn't seized...

 

The engine actually seemed to be in pretty good shape, but it wouldn't start for whatever reason, and this day and age it would likely be cheaper to just buy a new leaf blower...

 

Does it slip worse in fourth gear? It's common when they are going out for it to be noticed initially only in fourth gear. When it gets worse it will slip in all gears.

 

Generally from what you’ve described, it sounds like the clutch friction plate is worn out. Even if it was replaced within 40,000, if it wasn’t replaced with a factory plate, there is no telling how long the life of the friction plate will be.

Like @eon_blue said, depending on the drivers habits and capabilities with a clutch, as well as the quality of the friction plate that was used, theres no good way to determine strictly based on how long ago the clutch was replaced.

If it was one of the clutch cylinders (which are the hydraulic components which press the throw out bearing into the spring plate which in turn releases the friction plate from the flywheel, in turn allowing the transmission to stop spinning with the engine so that the gear can be changed) then she would be having a difficult time getting it into gear, especially 1st gear when stopped.

If she is in gear and the RPMs go up without the truck accelerating, that’s a bad friction plate.

All of that being said, I paid $1480 just before the pandemic to have my clutch parts replaced and the rear main seal replaced. So considering how much everything has increased in price since then, $1700 seems to be in the ballpark of reasonable.

But make sure that she has the fly wheel refaced or replaced when the clutch is done. Because that is another reason why a clutch that was replaced recently can go out prematurely. If the flywheel wasn’t refaced, the grooves in the flywheel from the old friction plate will shred up the new one

 

This was my first time dissecting a 2-stroke engine (much less an entire leaf blower), and I was amazed by how simple the whole thing was; Also, again, the engine was in much better condition than I expected it to be...

 

Another thing that might have exacerbated it was that two teenagers were taught to drive stick in this particular Tacoma...



What you're saying makes a lot of sense though! Also, does the transmission have to come out for a clutch replacement?