6 speed manual transmission problems

I am new here, i hope i posted in the proper forum, if no please correct me. If any of y'all have technical background with transmission, I am definitely in need of assistance. I'm going to give the best description i can give for my possible fault occurring and what it could be leading to.

Lately I have noticed my shifting into 1st, 2nd and 3rd have become iffy. From a complete stop, starting to go in 1st gear, sometimes the tranny doesn't want to shift all the way into place. This as well goes for when i am going to shift into 2nd gear after i began moving, i will sometimes be met with minor grinding, i then move to neutral, pump clutch and get it into place in 2nd gear and then i'm usually on my way if 3rd gear doesn't cause me problems. If i am sitting in a parked position with vehicle on or off, i can feel a MAJOR difference in where the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears shift to. what i mean by that is, the amount the stick moves into 1st is 1/4 that of 4th, 5th, 6th and reverse. Going back to when i go into 1st and start moving, with it barely going in, sometimes i run into grinding when i release the clutch and add gas to start going, because its not really in 1st, just barely moved up from neutral. I guess some background info, the truck/tranny has 120k, it has been serviced once since toyota decided it isn't a non-serviceable tranny and the fluid should be changed. the clutch was swapped at roughly 70k, I was told the flywheel needed to be but i was broke so i did not switch it then. I hope i gave enough details to better zero in on what i should do next. Im of course hoping for the non-expensive route haha. Club cable, flywheel, clutch its self, tranny flush? Anyone have any Ideas, I would greatly appreciate them. Thank you.

 

Not too sure what I can suggest from your explanation . Sounds like you have a few things going on
Try a new shifter bushing to start as a cheap alternative .
You can read a bunch of diagnostic stuff here https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...on-your-6-speed-transmissiom-write-up.338840/

 

What can a shifter bushing do? Can a worn one cause rough shifting and or not going into gear? Do you have any links to videos or images for removal on a 05 or newer model?

 

yes . there are many links within that thread i posted for you

 

ok thank you, i ordered the two recommended parts, bushing and other piece that sits below. I did mention that if the car is off, I feel the same difference of lack of going into gear for 1st 2nd and 3rd. Now while i am driving, i will granny shift with clutch down 100% shift and then cross fingers holding it in 2nd hoping not to hear grinds because it will never fully drop in. if car is sitting or off i can simply flick it out of 1st 2nd and 3rd with the lightest touch but if in reverse 5th or 6th, its fully in and id have to move it out with my hand. thank you for your help gearcruncher, much appreciated.

 

The shifter bushing is a great start . I dont usually reccomend a shifter bushing as a " FIX ALL " but it has helped so many members here and its about the cheapest thing you can do other than changing out your fluid to Red Line .
Let us know how you made out . There is a tutorial that shows how to replace the bushing within that link I posted for you .

 

roger that, I have those parts and I also got the amsoil transmission oil, 2 qts. I have redline in it now with only about 10k on it, maybe I have leak idk, ill find out here next week when I have time off and will switch the parts and the fluid if need be. I think ill do the bushing first to see if any, results for the part swap and if no change im going to change tranny oil, either way maybe change as well just to have to god oil in.

 

so, late to getting back to y'all, however when the weather started to warm up, the grinding issue when away entirely. I believe I can say it is the fluid in tranny at the moment. I'm fine with how things are driving now but when oil change is due I will drain out the redline I have in now and put aimsoil in so next winter ill be ready to see which one hold sup better. when I had amsoil in tranny before back in Washington state with a lot colder of winters then south Carolina, I never had grinding issue. Only had problem with MT in the tranny. Thanks for all help again.