Manual Trans surging??

I have put about 1000k miles on my truck since I bought it in Dec. and have noticed every once in a while the transmission will surge and it feels somewhat like my wheels are on ice for a second. It seems to really only happen going up hill and it seems to really only happen in the lower RPM range of the gears almost feels like its bogging but not when I'm nearly in that low of RPM. I am planning on checking Trans fluid but it was inspected right before I bought it but you never know. I think that I am about due for a clutch as its sticking in reverse a little and I have to force it out and I still have full actuation at the clutch bell. Any other info on the surging/stutter would be great. The truck has the 3.4L and has 248k miles on it and was I am the second owner. Thanks!

 

Gosh your manual tranny really shouldnt cause that symptom. The clutch coulde be slipping but typically you would notice that more at an upper gear not lower like you're experiencing.. also the fluid shouldn't cause that issue either, but stranger things have happened thats fur sure.

 

Maybe its a TPS issue like I've read about and I am mistaking it for the transmission since I am feeling the power loss?

 

Possibly...there is a way to attempt to clean the tps before doing a part swap. With the truck off depress the skinny pedal from top all the way to the floor 100 times and that can fix a tps issue sometimes. I believe thats even from toyota and in the fsm, not just a shade tree method.

 

Sounds like a worn-out clutch to me. Likely the reason your 'buddy' dumped it on you.
However, since you got it for such a deal, this is an acceptable issue (IMHO).

I recommend OEM clutch parts, this is not an area to go cheap on.

 

This is what I am thinking and I appreciate your input. My "buddy" is actually a good friend of mine and he didn't not "dump it to me" haha He had a baby, bought another truck and we had previously talked about me buying his truck whenever that time came. I am happy to replace the clutch if that's the case as I have access to a lift and extensively experienced helper.s Just making sure I am going in the right direction. I didn't know a clutch could affect the engagement of a gear once it was actually in gear so I was a bit confused on it being a clutch issue.

 

The clutch connects the engine fly wheel to the transmission. When it wears out, that connection starts to slip. The slippage is most noticeable when the torque at the clutch is highest (going up hill in a higher gear, starting from a stop light, etc).

Labor is most of the cost, so it sounds like you are in good shape.

With that many miles you should also do a compression check.

 

Are you referring to a cylinder compression check? If so, it's next on my list. Thanks!

 

Don't cheap out on the new clutch and above all, don't cheap out on the labor (if you're having someone else do it). Ask me why, lol. Fucking nightmare that was.

But yeah, sounds like a clutch going out to me. If it's still on the original then it's way past it's expected lifespan and should be changed out.

 

Well 2 days ago I replaced my spark plugs, wires and valve cover gaskets (not related) and after about 200miles of driving, my "slipping" is gone. I noticed significant wear on the post of each spark plug (50% or more) and I am not sure they have ever been changed. It is running better than ever now without any loss of power or slipping under torque