5 speed manual vs. 6 speed manual strength

5 speed manual vs. 6 speed manual strength...

Is the six speed actually stronger? Intuition says yes because it's paired with the v6 engine, however the rear end is the same unit regardless of engine selection (assuming the 4 cyl. is a prerunner model).

Is the only advantage the extra gear, or are the gears actually larger/stronger?

Also, does anyone happen to know if these two transmissions will bolt right up to either engine? If not, what mods are necessary?

Thanks in advance!

 

They transmissions will not bolt up, the 6spd 4x4 (RA60F) and 5 spd 4x4 (R155f) have completely different bellhousing patterns on both sides (block side and trans side)

The 6spd also has a larger clutch, and the trans is physically larger and heavier. No idea on real world strength but I seem to remember that the 6spd is rated for 330 TQ, and if I remember right the 5spd is 250 or 275 rated.

That being said there are plenty of 6spd problems, and virtually none with the 5spd. Also R series trans USED to be the strongest (other the getrag V160) toyota trans. There are many out there running much more power fairly reliably.

 

If it was an option I would swap an R151, or R155 in place of my RA60 in a heartbeat.

Other than my old DSM 5spd, the only manual I have had trouble with is the 2nd gen 6spd.

I have broken a handfull of early L, G and W series trans offroad. But not on the street.

 

Well said, might be worth mentioning that most of the 6speed problems didn't affect 4x4 models and largely limited to clutch/throw out bearings on the earlier models.

To the OP, why are you asking?

 

All it takes is 2 bellhousings and cutting and welding them together so that the input shaft length is correct. The rest is minor

 

And the throw out bearing is the same shitty design on the 5 speed 2nd gen 4x4 as the 6spd.

The saving grave is that the 5 speed has a steel quill and the 6speed is aluminum.. both bearings are shit, but the quill is also junk on the 6spd.

 

There are only 2 reasons I have not done it. Warranty, and still pretty new 45k truck haha.

Ive got 2 R151's, an R150 or 2 and a Tacoma transfer case lying around.. if this 6spd explodes, and toyota fucks around on the warranty I will figure it out. Lol.

 

Also, the 6 speed is a pilotless transmission (no point on the input shaft and no pilot bearing.

So a solution for that would also be needed as all R series 5 speeds have a pilot bearing input

 

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

The bearing itself isn't the problem. URD has a very good explanation of it on their website. I forget the details.

 

Not for the majority of problems people have, that is on the 6 spd.

The bearing is shit, although far less people have a problem with it. I burned through them like crazy offroad in my 08 (5spd) which saw similar, but less use than my 81 or 85 play trucks, except niether of the old style bearing ever failed me.

Anyway the common problem is that the aluminum quill in the 6spd is gaulled by the steel bearing collar. It hangs up and rocks in place.

The 5 speed does not have that problem, but most of the bearings have a plastic bit in them. I forget how I remedied it on my 08 but I can say for sure, 3 catastrophic failures later it is a POS bearing.

My 2015 has had the sleeve URD sells since 6k miles, and I have avoided almost all mud and water in order to avoid bearing failure. The bearing is a stock bearing, bored out in the neck so it fits over URD's sleave.

 

Wait, what?? Is the entire bell housing steel?

 

Haha

No, the part of the transmission that sticks out from the front, with the input shaft going through it, that the clutch release (throw out) bearing actually slides on. Is what I am reffering to as the quill.

If my memory serves me well, the 5 speed is also part of the front bearong cover plate. You could remove and replace it. The 6 speed is actually part of the front housing.

Either way that part is made of Aluminum in the 6speed and the bearing is steel, sliding back and forth the steel gauls the aluminum and once it gets bad enough the bearing can hang up, or rock on the quill.

The 5 speed has a steel quill, steel on steel is much better. And also normal.

 

Both bell housings are cast aluminum.

In fact all removeable Toyota mini truck 4runner and Tacoma bellhousings are Aluminum. The only steel ones are early 4 and 5 speeds that were part of the transmission housing and are cast iron.

 

What the hell. Why did they screw us on the 6 speed?

 

Good question.

The part probably saved a pound from the truck, and more importantly saved a few pennies from manufacturing by using Aluminum vs steel. They would probably have used plastic if they thought they could.

 

More like the engineer was fucking hungover when he thought steel bearing on aluminum quill was a great idea... This really is the biggest flaw of the 6spd. I'm not sure if things were changed in later years because the reports of failures are way less, especially in the 4x4 version but no idea why...

 

Well.. mine is a 15, sooo its a safe bet 05-15 all have the same issue.

There was a revised bearing, although idk what they changed.

There were also less Tacoma's and therefore less manual Tacomas each year, with the first few years having the most trucks sold.. thats more people complaining, 10 years later there are "fixes" and a simple google search would answer the question vs all new problems.

I bet the Techs at the dealers are all very familiar with 5-15 6spd problems by now haha.

 

That's probably true. Is yours 4x4?

 

Yes its a 4x4