Factory 6MT Concerns

How many of y’all with MT actually like the transmission the way it comes from the factory? I keep hearing how it’s great with a few tunes/adjustments. I really don’t like the idea of spending $40,000+ for a truck that I’ve got to change to make correct. I’ve test drove a 21 that was on the lot and loved it but I’m wondering now if someone has “tuned it or whatever adjustments people are making on the manual.

 

I got the manual as I didn't care for the way the automatic drove. I feel no need to make changes.

 

I’ll take a stock mt over a stock at, any day. With a couple minor changes, you can make the manual even better but they are in no way required.

 

No need for bold.


On mine, test drives felt great. It was just that it didn't fit like the glove that MTs always did for me after a time. The lack of low end torque meant that I was using too much clutch slip to get going.

In all honesty, I'd prefer some small changes to the MT gearing, but I have grown to be perfectly happy with them as time went on.

The clutch accumulator was a big deal for me and a good, free mod to consider:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mt-accumulator-delete-mod-adm-and-bs-thread.568303/


Overall and after 75k, I am just thrilled with it.

 

Go drive a new one.. that way you know that it's stock. The dealer probably doesn't / wouldn't know if a used truck had it's gear ratio swapped or a tune applied.

 

It's not a Miata manual, for sure. If you do get a new truck, give it 7500 miles to break in properly. Mine had some shifting and clutch issues that worked themselves out with time. Now at 50K miles (and fluid change to Redline MT90), it's fine.

 

I came from a 2019 Manual Frontier and I felt the stock MT Tacoma was really lame in comparison. I think people are less underwhelmed when they aren’t coming from something like the Frontier, which for such a boring looking truck was an awesome performer and had tons of get up and go for a V6. It was torquey and great.

So with my background, I definitely could not leave this thing alone. It’s not like it’s horrible though, and it’s not like the changes anyone makes are that expensive. Is a $400 tune really THAT bad to afford? It only has to be a one time deal. Between that and the accumulator delete (free if you can dremel), I’m happy with the way it drives. I did change the fluid to Motorcraft XT M5 QS which isn't really necessary but did improve the smoothness of shifting a bit. I'd choose that over RL MT90, and I've used Redline many times as well.

that said, I’m a bit more extreme than most and will be regearing mine anyways for more performance, but it’s definitely good as it is now anyways. I just want more. I’m not going larger tires, the regear is for stock.

you’ll read a lot about short throw shifters and how much the stock shifters suck. I wouldn’t read into it too much. That is totally personal preference. Personally, short throws only feel good until I get tired of them. I never get tired of stock. So I just don’t even go down that road anymore. It’s not a sporty vehicle, so a sporty shifter just feels unnatural to me.

So to me it depends on where you’re coming from and what you expect. I was used to a Frontier and the Tacoma felt like a damn dog to me, but if you’re happy with it, great.

stock to stock, I would absolutely only consider the manual and wouldn’t give the AT any thought at all. Whatever "problems" the manuals have, guaranteed the autos have them worse.

Edit: oh, and definitely do the 2LO mod. $130. It's not really to "fix" the truck as it would be handy even if we had an awesome reverse gear. It just gives you the ability to access the transfer case low gearing while retaining the ability to steer. Totally worth the cost. Useful for backing up trailers or even a steep hill with no trailer. Great mod.

 

I'm enjoying mine. I can feel a bit of a difference with 33's but the truck handles it fine. Going up steep grades in CO I usually drop to 3rd. Otherwise, It feels fine.

 

/thread

Just kidding.

It's all a matter of preference. I did the accumulator delete which was cheap. I did VF Tune, which in the grand scheme of Taco mods, is cheap. I changed out the fluid early for Redline MT-90, which again was cheap and falls into the "maintenance" category. I did all this after owning the truck for a couple years and loving it the whole time. These small improvements made it more enjoyable overall, and this truck took a lot of getting used to.

 

Well said.

Buddy had nismo frontier 6 MT and that thing was beastly.

I came from a 2007 Ford ranger with 4.0 and 5 speed, so this Tacoma felt like a rocket ship in comparison. The only thing I noticed right away was, throttle response and inability to rev match properly with that dam ADM. Stock tune was just fine for me. I am now tuned to premium SFOB, made the truck a lot more fun to drive.

 

Yeah I don't know what it is about Nissan but they really get the low end torque out of those motors. The clutch did suck as it had a delay valve similar to our accumulator and it also had a dual mass flywheel which everyone hated. So the delay valve made it a vague clutch and then the flywheel made it a vague clutch on steroids. I never did get to try the delay valve delete on that one but based on the accumulator delete I bet I would have liked it. Truck ran like a bullet though. I geared mine to 4.56 for a little bit and it was like a damn rocket. I wish my truck didn't have such bad quality control or else I would have kept it.

I had a 2005 3.0 5 speed Ranger before that, it was pretty slow lol. I would have thought the 4.0 would be decent though, but I never got to try one. I'm surprised the Tacoma felt faster than the Ranger 4.0, that's interesting. But yeah, rev matching sucks on the accumulator, much better with it gone. Before the Ranger was (and still own) a 94 Jeep inline 4.0 5 speed, with 4.88 and 33's. Now that one moves, although it runs out of breath as you gain speed....but has great low end torque. Better than all my others by far. Has the best reverse ratio out of all the vehicles I've owned too, at 4.25:1. Combined with the 4.88's it's really great. Too bad it's an old rickety Jeep lol.

The only thing I wish I could change at this point on the Tacoma is the transmission gearing. The Hilux transmission would be awesome but by the time I did a regear to make the ODs be how I want them, I wouldn't want the granny low that 1st would turn into. Always pros and cons. For what it is, the Tacoma transmission is pretty good, but I really wish 2nd gear was lower. That and reverse are by far my biggest grievances. So to fix those two, and benefit the other gears, the plan is an axle regear. And also getting rid of these heavy ass tires for lighter ones. I have no need for load E's.

 

The 2Lo Mod fixes reverse as does a tune.

 

I know, I've got both But I wish reverse was lower anyways so I didn't have to go to 2LO. Would be nice to just barely idle out of a parking spot or whatever without all the bogging and clutch management that I deal with currently.

I'd rather we still lived in the days of factory granny reverse gears lol. But, I'm guessing those died off due to us packing the transmissions with more and more forward gears, making it to where there was no longer room for a giant and low reverse gear.

so anyways, a regear will at least improve my current complaints as well as make the other gears I don't have complaints about, more enjoyable.

 

I cannot disagree there.


Packaging is the only thing that I can think of also.

 

Just Kidding? Im new to the forum, did I do something stupid? Besides the bold type, lol

 

Ford gave the bronco that crawler gear and a 5.6:1 reverse. I'm a bit jeally over that transmission. Seems like they got the ratios just perfect for that platform.

 

"/thread" means "end thread." My joke here was that "you already said you test drove one off the lot and said you liked it, that should be all there is to it." You're good man. Welcome to TW!

 

Ok, gotcha, thanks!

 

No doubt. But, the Bronco's only goal was to chase Wrangler sales. We play in a different part of that sandbox. I had enough lusty thoughts about the Bronco and am thankful that they screwed up and didn't mate that 7MT to the 2.7tt. But then, Ford did shoot themselves in the foot with the 2.7tt.

 

Reverse is geared too high for my taste. Other than that, all good.