6spd m/t- difficulty engaging gears

Howdy,
Long time reader, first time poster here. I came to ask for advice on a stubborn gear shifter.

The symptom is just recently I’ve been having some rough feeling feedback when engaging each gear. It just started after moving 1500 miles cross country. First can be really stubborn, second clunks a little and then the following gears kinda just feel like you can feel the gear teeth mashing together not so smoothly. It also has a good whine at 23-28mph in 3rd or 4th gear. But the shifting problem almost goes away when below freezing temperatures, the whine does not. Does this sound like a throw out bearing gone bad?

A little background on the truck, it’s got 211k miles. I’ve had it since 170k and I’ve always replaced fluids regularly, redline mt90 in the transmission and transfer case. It drove and shifted very smoothly when I got it. Also, for lack of a better oil, I had to put 75w90 in the rear end before I towed all my stuff 1500 miles. The problem seems to have started just since then so I can’t help but wonder if that could be causing this. On another note, I have yet to replace the shifter bushing or check the linkage.

Just looking for any advice on what could be going on or perhaps any ways to further diagnose the issue before I go spending any money.

Thanks

 

Clutch is worn and not releasing all the way anymore.

Sounds ,like it time for a complete clutch disc and assy job.

 

How many miles on your clutch?

edit: oops--someone beat me to it.

 

I have to assume it’s the original clutch with 211k on it. Would a worn throw out bearing be causing the whine or can a worn clutch cause that? Also still curious as to why it would shift smoother in the cold.

 

Yes, the throw out bearing could be going also but at that mileage, only an idiot wouldn't replace everything at the same time because all of it is likely to be on it's last legs and doing the job twice is false economy.

 

Definitely the clutch. Had the exact same symptoms on my 2nd gen.

 

No worries, I wouldn’t dream of taking such a short cut. Just trying to make sure I understand exactly what’s going on. Thanks for the tip.

 

I heard on some cars a clutch can last 300k if you drive it properly. Including not letting "friends" who think they can drive stick well but can't, drive it.
Though I don't know if this includes the Tacoma, or what ways exist to test clutch health. I hear you can put it in 4th and slowly gas it to see if it slips or stalls.

But if people are saying it won't release, I think that means worn pressure plate fingers, not a clutch. These are both different parts of the clutch system.
The clutch disc uses friction to hold, and the pressure plate is a spring that clamps it together.

I wonder how much a whole kit is.
What worries me is the prospect of installing a new TOB while in there; what to get, how much it costs, and how to install it.
Because mine does the infamous TOB squeal, which started out like crickets, but now sounds like a chimpanzee laughing hysterically.
It makes the truck look shitty because to the average person outside, they probably think I'm an idiot who can't replace a simple serpentine belt. Because the squeal is similar to that. But it's not the serpentine belt because it can get quieted if pressing the clutch pedal.
Problem is, are you really gonna be stabbing at the clutch pedal a bunch of times at a red light just to quiet the TOB? No, because you shouldn't have to, and because the less clutch pedal presses, the better.
Each clutch pedal press bends/operates the pressure plate, which can probably only handle so many 100k miles of that (or however much it takes).

I've seen people get 100-300k mi from a clutch in a well-driven Audi, mostly highway miles commuting,
as well as 100k mile clutch changes in a Jetta

I want to see what RockAuto lists available, and if it's a matching OEM part or not.
One thing I notice is their site's "clutch kits" don't include the flywheel. I'm not sure what to do about that. ie what kind of flywheel it is, and if it must be resurfaced or replaced.
The type matters, because single-mass flywheels probably allow for resurfacing. But dual masses I think usually ask for full replacement.

supposedly the one aftermarket TOB that can fix clutch squeal, is a $400 hydraulic unit.

If that ends up totaling $800 in parts for a clutch job
man, that's expensive
especially if the truck doesn't actually need it
although who doesn't like to have a new clutch

 

Transfer Case calls for a GL5 75w90 gear oil.
MT-90 is a GL4, which is what these MT’s like.

 

My 05 with 216000 is going in Monday for all new clutch. Mine does some of the same things you describe yours does. Mine is the original clutch also.

 

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but here I am a year later from this post. I did a clutch kit myself back in May. Think I used the aisin kit from rockauto. Took about two months or so for the infamous TOB squeak to set in. It got pretty bad, I tried adjusting the clutch closer to being disengaged but I was afraid of how far the rod could come out so I just put up with the noise. Fast forward to now, I just returned home after driving from Virginia to North Dakota and back. 3000 miles later (6000 total on the clutch), my squeak is very faint and hardly even a bother. Most of the time it doesn’t even do it. If you have the squeak, try taking a cross country road trip.