Attn 6 MT OWNERS (again)

All of my previous manuals, s10's ford focus etc were happy shifting around 1500 RPM, 22 Tacoma isn't happy anywhere under 2000 and is really happy with 2500 to 3500 RPM shifts.

 

Stutter like a low RPM misfire? Or is dragging like a slipping clutch?

 

Punch it - you'll be glad you did! The truck shifts and runs well IF you never let the engine drop below 2000 RPM, which should be easy with a manual

 

The 3.5 has almost no torque down low, we all understand that. What some of us are experiencing is not a lack of torque, but an engine that feels that looses power momentarily (half second) then wakes up, then looses power, then wakes up etc. Is not lack of experience driving a manual, is not a clutch issue, it feels exactly as an old carbureted engine that has some of the passages clogged.

For those of you members that do not have this issue, try to understand that some of us are experiencing, and it feels awful. Sometimes the engine wakes up and is fine for 30min, then it goes back to being crap again.

As I mentioned before, the only thing that has helped a lot for me is running premium and reducing the intake valve advance on med-high load around 2000 rpm.

I truly believe that if we were able to set a different target for knock-feedback-value (more conservative) this problem would be gone

 

Could it be the spark plug? Maybe they’re loose

 

Have a 23 MT. On 33s. Tuned. No problems before or after.

 

I checked them all, they were all torqued the same and looked perfect.

One completely speculative theory is that a batch of MAF sensors around 2022-2023 could be not reporting things correctly, however I do not have evidence to back this up and I usually don't take the parts cannon approach, so I have not purchased one. Cleaning my MAF improved things a bit, that is where I got the idea of the MAF being off.

The issue is intermittent, completely impossible to predict when is the engine going to feel like crap or when is it going to be smooth as silk. There are no codes and I am well versed with the scanner and I cannot see anything abnormal in data-logs.

 

No issues here at all. I barely go over 2.5K RPMs normal driving, even towing my 6x12 enclosed unless im on the hills. It accelerates nice and smooth at low RPMs.

Note:
Ive used Shell 91E0 after dealers fill for~ 3 years then flashed the ECU and switched to Chevron 94E0. Truck drives absolutely amazing.

 

That sounds like a miserable experience.

Did not have these issues stock or now tuned running 33x10s, 2" lift, winch, front aluminum stump bumper and sliders.

 

I’ve got the OTT and have not experienced this issue since getting tuned. I do recall weirdness prior to the tune. Night a day difference.

 

That’s my experience—in winter months. I think it has everything to do with knock, octane, and spark advance. The stock program is prone to knock at ~1500-2000 rpm especially tip-out. It’s so bad it leads the ECU to retard timing a lot. That spark retard is what makes these engines dogs.

To make these engines run at best, you need to make sure timing isn’t pulled out significantly. To do this 1) a tune can help by reshaping the timing/fuel maps to not have this hot spot previously mentioned, and/or 2) run higher octane fuel. I do both in the summer, but can get away with lower octane in the winter.

Not everyone has this issue because higher elevations and cooler temperatures are less prone to knock. This is why 85 octane is common in the Rockies and unheard of elsewhere in the US.

 

I have tracked max spark advance when running regular and premium and there was no difference.

I don't disagree with what you you are saying, but I was not able to confirm anything.

I tried 85e15, 87, 91, 93, and 94 Top Tier and did notice any difference between any of them.

 

I had this issue when the truck was cold during the colder months (relatively) in Phoenix. I have the 6MT. This was much more pronounced when I had my throttle enhancer on. It lugged and bucked. I’m made some changes and haven’t noticed much of a problem anymore.
1) I use 91 octane now. No more 85. My truck doesn’t like cheap gas.
2) I am very light on the throttle until it warms up a bit.
3) I keep the RPMs up when I accelerate and always downshift when accelerating.

 

Mines been this way since day 1. I even ran 4 tanks of ethanol free fuel consecutively through it to see if it was an octane/ethanl thing. Got like 3.5mpg better, but it hurt because that was when gas was spiked up around $5gal for e10 low test around my ao.

Vehicle mods have been happening very slowly. I got a set of sliders installed, and my drivig lights. I have my kalilfab bumper in the corner of my garage waiting for time to get it mounted. In between fixing my civic, some family emergencies, remodeling a bathroom in a house built by crackheads, and getting my parents tacoma bacl on the road I've been occupied.

Going to add an intake runner apacer shortly, next on the chopping block after that is 2Low and anytime lockers. Then find a tuner. Was waiting on OTT to get their carb# squared away, so I don't run into any problems around inspection time.

 

Here is my experience with my 2023 6MT - purchased new last August, on the first drive bringing it home I noticed a lot of what you described, felt like it was misfiring at times even but my experience with engine performance had me recognizing it felt much more like constant timing reduction. The truck almost felt not driveable it was so bad at times. If I entered my driveway in 2nd gear roughly 10mph it would sputter the whole way up, even my wife asked what the hell is wrong with this! When the tank got down to 1/4 I filled the first time with 93, I could tell immediately leaving the gas station that there was an improvement. Getting home and going up the driveway in 2nd gear the exact same I did so many times it virtually eliminated all stuttering. After about 500 miles I installed the Anderson manifold spacer, and that made even more difference in the bottom end. At around 4k miles I installed the URD y pipe and that improved things even more, I rarely get any of the stuttering or seeming no power then suddenly it takes off feeling anymore. Yes, it happens at times but rarely. I would have had it tuned by now but the cable was lost in the mail and no one wants to assume responsibility so I am soon going to bite the bullet and order another cable so I can finally get that done. I expect that will help even more.

 

So looks like nobody else has done an official complaint to Toyota. Correct?

 

I've owned many manual Toyota's, except the 4.0(driven on a bunch but never owned one).

2.7 4cyl, 3.0, 3.4 and 3.5 V6 engines, they are all under powered, they all need higher RPM when upshift, 2500 seems to be the happy spot.

The 4.0 in Gen2 Tacoma, so far is the best, proper truck engine.

I did run into a similar problem with my 3rd gen 4Runner, turned out it was the hot spots on flywheel. At that time, the truck had 160k miles and been abused a bit. A new Marlin Crawler flywheel fixed the problem, it already had a Marlin clutch and heavy pressure plate.

 

I’m not talking about loss or lack of power. It’s that stutter. Even if I shifted at 3grand I still have to go through that “stuttering” range to get there. I have a 2012 6MT 4.0 so I know about the difference in drivability issues.

 

Mine does it too. Especially first few cold shifts. I haven't contacted toyota about it.