6MT Owners: How Are You Using the Clutch?

I've had my 18 OR 6MT for over a year now and can't consistently get good/smooth shifts. Some days it's fine, other days it seems like every shift is rough, clunky, lurching or slight bucking. I've had manual transmissions in the past and I don't remember a single one being rough and inconsistent like this one.

How are you guys engaging the clutch? Halfway to the floor? All the way to the floor?

 

Hi man, it took me about a week to be able to shift from first to second smoothly...

It’s been a month already, I treat the clutch very gently... that helped me a lot... press gently.. not fast..

 

It’s not your fault. There’s an accumulator in the line that makes the shifts different every time.

You can get rid of it.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mt-accumulator-delete-mod-adm-and-bs-thread.568303/

 

THIS RIGHT HERE ^^^^^^

 

Clutch the way to the floor.

 

I remember asking if anyone took one apart and how this accumulator worked. I think the goal may have been to achieve consistent clutch contact despite differences in how hard or how fast a person gets on that clutch pedal, but it ended up killing the feel for the driver because you have this little hydraulic hammer arrestor modulating the hydraulic pressure. Again, I don’t know if it’s a spring and bellows or what... but I imagine temperature differences would make the clutch feel all over the place.

 

Personally, this is one of the smoothest MT's I have driving from day 1. Wifey is rough with it, but I find it very easiest to drive. I do push the clutch to the floor every shift though.

 

I really thought there would be a ball and spring pressed in there, but it is just that pressure disk and the seal. As fluid is flowing back toward the master (engaging) the disk sees a negative pressure, the seal compresses further, and severely restricts flow.

That is why @M1Awolf 's and @kgautier 's dremel mod also works. Killing the restriction kills the function.

If you need to modulate the clutch at all during engagement, the effect is even worse. That is where my problem came from, in lower gears and when offroad (larger RPM differences between gears), my engagement stroke is almost never a constant motion. I will give a tiny hitch in the stroke right when the clutch gabs to make it smooth as possible.

 

How anyone has a problem with this truck's clutch or shifting (besides the rev-hang) is beyond me. It literally could not get any easier or smoother than it is on this truck. Beyond that, its probably the best 6speed manual gearbox in any truck ever produced. Coming from an 2005 Subaru STI I drove for about ~8 years, you would either have to have zero MT experience, be awful at it or simply be whining just to whine if you have problems with the 3rd Gen Tacoma 6mt, its that much easier, forgiving and smoother than performance car close ratio, short throw MT's with concrete stiff clutches that punish every minor mistake.

Other than that, there is no other 'truck' that has ever been produced with a better transmission/gearbox than the 6mt here.

 

The gear box itself is stellar. It is just the clutch and pre-TSB tune that blows. The shear volume of MT owners that agree makes your opinion just what it is, yours.

I have 25yrs of MTs in cars, trucks (borrowed), and bikes with both cable and hydraulic operation. This is the only one that I ever felt the need to even mod. Hell, on my current bike, everyone mods the clutch for an easier pull. I still sit on the sidelines there, not calling out others who choose to mod theirs to their liking.

We all could sit here and make fun of your TRD intake. The fact is the ADM is a $0 to $75 mod, depending on how folks do it. You got no foot to stand on.

 

Haha calm down man. I've driven plenty of manual transmissions in my life. Was asking what others are doing...and you didn't answer.

I feel the clutch engage almost right away. I feel like shifts are smoother when I don't go all the way to the floor. Maybe 1/3 or 1/2 down. Was just wondering if there is anything wrong with it.

 

We are a community of overreactors. Deal with it. Or else.

 

Wonder why they call it an accumulator then. That is not my preferred nomenclature.

 

Sounds similar to the S2000's setup which essentially cushions the drivetrain shock when the clutch is let out too fast/'popped'?

 

It accumulates pressure went disengaging and controls the pressure when engaging. That's my worthless explanation anyway.

Sort of, but with the lash in the rear, it doesn't help that much. Besides, I don't get a sense that the driveline is that weak. Of course, the 2LM is gonna required some finesse, but that is understandable.

The Ultimate Driving Machines [sic!] have them also. I believe they use a venturi type? At least that is what my friend said when he had an E46 328i (?) for a short time.

 

It's actually not that bad really. Because the gearing is so low, you can pretty much just let the clutch out without any throttle input.

 

Yeah, that is how I do it in 4Lo, but there will be times on hills with a trailer.

It's gonna be fun to use.

 

I just bought a 2017 MT a week ago. I had not driven a stick in 11 years since my 95 Tacoma was traded for my 08 Tacoma. So far, have not noticed any issues with shifting while in motion. The only issue I have, and it may be because I'm still re-learning a stick again, when I am out of gear, waiting on a long stop light, I find it sometimes difficult to get it into in first gear. A couple times I started out in 3rd and quickly went to first. I have noticed first gear has that extra "clunk" sound when it engages. My 95 Tacoma reverse was to the right, now its to the left.

 

Delete the accumulator and it will get way better!

That said I still struggle sometimes but I think it's a throttle response issue more than the clutch... OVTune has helped quite a bit but there are more changes still coming. I would recommend that for you as well.

 

It's not only the accumulator but also the rev hang. The rev hang is particularly nasty on 2nd gear.

The new Factory tune also helped.