Clutch going out?

Hi ya'll, I have a 2004 2.7 4x4 with the 5 speed manual. 158,350 and as far as I know original clutch. Over the last few months I've noticed that it shudders when accelerating from a stop and within the last couple days I've noticed what seems to be slipping (shudder, RPM increase without acceleration) when I'm cruising and mash the pedal in 3rd, 4th, or 5th.

I checked the clutch fluid level and it's fine and adjusted pedal play today, no luck, can I assume I'm hosed? Anything else I should check?

Thanks everyone for any input.

 

An increase in RPM and not in speed is indicative of a slipping clutch.
And it’s usually more prevalent in upper gears (at first). I’m guessing it’s the clutch.

 

Thanks for your response. Anybody know what the going rate for this job is right now?

planning to replace TOB, pilot, shift fork, shifter seats, and rear main while I’m in there. Anything else I should do?

probably going to go with the center force kit, I’ve heard good things.

 

Seems like low miles for a clutch to give out on a Tacoma. It's always a good idea to remove the flywheel and take a light to look for any kind of leaks, water (from freeze plugs), engine oil leaking on clutch, etc. You just want to make sure you don't have a leak that caused this problem. Anything liquid that touches the clutch can cause it to chatter (at first) and then finally fail. If there are freeze plugs, I replace them while the tranny is out whether leaking or not. Cheap and easy to do.

 

thanks for your input. Anything else you think I should check? Could the transmission be messed up somehow? Fluids are all up to date within the last 20K miles.

I will say I lent the truck to my girlfriend for a summer, and she isn’t a super experienced manual driver and may have been hard on the clutch…

Dealer is going to drop the tranny and inspect but while it’s out at the least all the seals are getting replaced along with clutch, flywheel/resurface, TOB, pilot, and shift fork, shifter seats, plus whatever else they find.

 

Doubt she killed it in a summer but it happens. More than likely the clutch

 

I get some gear grinding too when I mash it, mainly in fourth, but behaves normally under light load. I agree probably the clutch but I’m paranoid the trans is shot.

 

Definitely clutch. 2.7 is an excellent motor with the 5 speed. I put 140k on mine in 2.5 years and it lived a hard life. They are slow but they don't hav3 3nough power to damage themselves or tranny. You would have to intentionally float gears and miss numerous times to grind off some teeth. If using the clutch its not very likely at all you could screw it up.

 

thanks, you’re making me feel a lot better. I’ve already ordered the parts and have the job scheduled. So much of me has gone into building this truck, and I literally just threw an icon stage III on yesterday, so it’s disheartening that I have to do yet another job on when I could just be enjoying the new upgrades.

 

Thats the way it goes, some 12 years ago I saved up for an 8 inch long arm kit with 40x15.5x18 tires, wide I know for my Cummins and the trans died maybe 2 days after I ordered the lift wheels and tires.

Anyways wheres a pic of your truck, reg cabs are so underrated. I wish I had another reg cab but maybe first or second gen, Mine is gutless

 

Sucks, sorry to hear, I guess that’s how it goes. Mine is gutless too, haha. Here’s a couple pics, some before, some after my most recent upgrades.

 

Hell ya man, looks in good shape. Even if down the road trans or motor dies I would just get it rebuilt or fond a good used. It is just in too good of shape
I sold that truck scratched to hell with no AC on a new 12 tacoma reg cab 4x4 but only kept it for a few months but it all worked out

 

yeah that’s the plan, it’s going to Yota1 when the motor dies for a full rebuild. No rust on the frame, I want to drive this thing for another ten years.

 

Very doable, my buddy and I flew out to San Jose CA a few days after the world shut down from Covid and picked up an 01 with a 3.4 190k and we drove it back to Dallas no issues. Then he trailed me from Dallas to Tennessee and back no issues. Just maintain it and use good parts, try and stick with Toyota or find old guys that rebuild parts like starters and what not, they are a dying breed.

 

Not terrible for the miles. My wife's 96 she had many years ago was just starting to need a clutch at around 170K..she got it with 90K so pretty sure it was original. Not sure how much longer she could have gone without doing it as it was bought back April 2008.

 

Ok, sorry to bump this thread again, but I can no longer reproduce the slipping issue.

Is it possible my slave cylinder is just occasionally binding on pedal release and preventing the clutch from fully engaging? The fluid is full but it’s pretty dirty.

 

I mean it is possible, How frequently is the truck driven

 

It’s my daily

 

Its not too likely since it doesn't sit long, Did you get a price on install?

 

yeah, dealer near me wants 1,050 for install. Already ordered parts, 300 total for Aisin kit with TOB and pilot, new rear main seal, new seats, new fork.