Frustrated with my 6 speed

My biggest problem with shifting was throttle lag due to the fly by wire throttle control and the computer keeping the revs up to burn off excess gas, there has been lots of threads on it. I have gotten used to it, just need to be a bit slower letting out the clutch. Was a real PIA at first. I drive semi's, heavy cranes, grew up on a farm tractor. Manual transmissions are not new to me but this truck tried my patience.If there was a way to fix that throttle lag i'd be first in line

 

First gear is the biggest, heaviest gear in the trans it takes a lot to stop it. When you are spinning the gears in the neutral the blocker ring has to stop it before it goes into gear the same holds true if you are moving and try to change to 1st gear. The syncro rings are basically brakes they bring the gear up or down to the speed of the main shaft before they engage. Years ago 1st gears were not synchromesh the trick to keep it from grinding from neutral was to put it in 2nd first then 1st because 2nd stopped everything from turning. You will find if you mat the clutch pedal it works a lot better. When I did the 30K service I changed the gear oil to syn. it made zero difference your perception my vary as far as the shifter because I have no issues with mine there is little threat I would spend $300 to improve something that's not broke.

 

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.

 

Yeah I noticed that (rarely) with the truck. It happens all the time with my 2004 STI... I found a steady and constant pressure with the truck (not forcing it) and it would eventually slip in... The car on the other hand I have to double clutch or usually just dip it into 2nd and then back to 1st.

 

Ah I see. Thanks for the explanations everybody!

 

I started driving a manual with bad synchros back when Tricky Dick Nixon was president.

For the case you cite, I was taught a trick by a master mechanic, and I do it without thinking every time.

In your case, you need to "slow" down the transmission before it will go from idling in neutral, into 1st.

You do this by, instead of going directly into 1st, go into 4,3,2 and then 1. You do that in a very quick motion, and it will work every time. He explained to me that you are slowing down the transmission, gradually getting the synchro's speed equalized.

I do this out of habit every time I am at a stop light. If you get into the habit of doing this, your tranny will last a long time, and be as smooth as butter.

I had an 1985 Corolla with a manual, and it lasted me until 2011, when I sold it. It is probably still going strong.

My '15 manual is only 6 weeks old, but I am in love with it. I have become one with my tranny.

 

Could you expand upon what you're experiencing here. I am very new to Tacomas, just got a 2006 6spd, and when I depress the clutch it feels as if the engine is not slowing down. I have read allot about bad synchronizers, but the gear shifting is smooth and does not grind. Now I tend to depress the clutch and hold it to allow the engine speed to slow before releasing it into another gear. I have no idea what the issue is. Hope you all can help. Thanks.

 

That is rev hang. Nothing you can do about that as it's controlled by the ECU.

 

Working as intended, the computer artificially holds the throttle input for a half a second (not exact) while shifting gears. I'm unsure why, but assume it's to make gear-changes easier (less micro-managing of the throttle input). That's the rev-hang everyone here has discussed.

 

and its fine to shift regularly before it slows down?

 

I think manufacturers are starting to treat manuals as red headed step children.

If you want to feel better about your Tacoma's gearbox, go drive a Jeep with the Getrag 6 speed. Sounds like a coffee grinder at idle, rattles between shifts, and is super notchy. The MT82 6 speed in my Mustang was a little better but it was a mean bitch in cold weather and would throw 1st gear back at you if you weren't at a dead stop until Ford changed the oil in it. My old Honda Fit had a clutch delay valve to keep retards from blowing the transmission up from bad shifting, so it would make good shifts horrible.

Then again, an '84 318i I drove for a while had a Getrag gear box in it. The roller bearings used on the input shaft of the transmission gave it that sweet coffee grinder sound at idle, but it sure shifted nice.

In comparison to the above, my Tacoma's gearbox is not bad at all. It's a little grumpy and the clutch a little grabby when cold, but if you drive it right it's a pleasure. The gearbox itself is a little noisy and missing a shift is easier than some cars, but overall it's not horrible.

 

It is in the software, the computer keeps the revs up even after you have released the throttle. Makes it a real PIA if you have the manual transmission, you have to slow down your shifting. When coming up through the gears I shift then hesitate before letting the clutch out, have to wait until the RPM's come down enough to match the higher gear. Like I said I've been driving manual transmissions for 30+ years and I struggled to change my driving style to match this truck. I'm surprised no one has come up with a fix yet??

 

The rev hang or what ever you wish to call it has every thing to do with emissions and nothing to do with the transmission. After you learn how to use the 6 spd you can use the hang to your advantage and make glass smooth shifts with little effort.

 

If I have the desire to shift pretty quickly I have never found the rev habg to be much of an obstacle. The 6spd in my 2013 was slower shifting than my 2015. I don't know if they changed something quietly or if its just a lucky number on the new one and or a bad number on the old one. Both have been good over all. The 2013 would reject a gear if you shifted too fast from time to time. But the 2015 I drive now I can shift it as fast as any previous toyota pickup transmission I have ever owned. That is a lot of trucks.

I have towed a ton with it and its great for towing. I thought about running dirt drags in the 2013, but the 2-3 shift was not positive enough. So I never really pursued it after a few dry runs.

My 2015 I like to much to beat that hard. But for whatever reason it is smoother and im sure it would go 2-3 without complaints.

The only downside to the 6spd in my eyes aside from the throw out bearing is the gas mileage hit.

 

It's interesting that you say the 2015 feels better than your 2013 because I only ever had the 2013 as a reference point and I thought it was pretty hard to get used to also. 2-3 was my biggest complaint as well, it would actually feel like it wasn't grabbing the synchros and instead was just bouncing against a gear and wouldn't go in.

I ended up going with an automatic, and overall I don't regret it.... unless I try and get moving quickly. They really didn't do a good job with predicting and holding gears in the auto. If I were to get on it hard and force it to downshift to 2nd or 3rd gear on an on-ramp and I held say 3/4 throttle it actually will start to upshift before it needs to, resulting in a violent gear-down when going from 3/4 to full throttle when really it should have just held it. I miss the ability to choose gears, but I don't miss my manual.

 

Yes the 2-3 felt like it would bounce without grinding if I tried to shift it fast from time to time.

The mud truck with w56 does the same thing from time to time on the 2-3 shift.

With the w56 its a no lift shift and it gets hammered so it either goes or its a violent reaction. But its no big deal if the trans blows up in that. The 6spd is too expensive to bang up for speed lol.

 

"Shift without using the clutch", "Run it up above 4000 RPMs in first", anything involving "Drifting" in a pickup truck...

I had so many facial cringes, and "oh my gosh, seriously?" moments reading through the eleven pages of this thread before responding that it simply just blew my mind. When I picked up my new 2013 Tacoma from the dealership in late 2012, my salesman said to me, "If you want this transmission to last a long time, it isn't a sports car, you press that clutch all the way to the floor, and all the way back out every time you want to change gears, okay?" I remember just nodding, and said, "Of course", while thinking to myself, "Why did he feel the need to tell me that, why wouldn't you do that.." After reading through this thread, it has become quite painfully obvious why he said that. I'm not seeking to offend anyone here, but holy smokes, it is no wonder some people are having issues.

That being said, I will say that this transmission in our Tacomas is a little different than most vehicles. I came from a 1991 Chevy K1500 Silverado with a 5-speed. That was a heavy clutch with a shifter that ran down to the floor, and there was a huge throw range between gears, so maybe my comparison is a bit different than coming from a little car with a manual, but the Tacoma felt more like the '85 Toyota Camry 5-speed I had as a teenager than that Chevy "truck" transmission. Nonetheless, the Tacoma manual is definitely geared for towing, and mine, a TRD Off Road with the towing package, definitely "feels" the part. The gears are very close together, which is both a curse and a blessing. You aren't going to save much on fuel efficiency when cruising at highway speeds, but, you can improve it some too by skipping gears when shifting. Depending on the grade of the road, be it a slight incline or decline, I can very smoothly go 1-2-4-6, or 1-3-5-6, or occasionally, on a flat straight with a slight decline, even 2-3-6 if the conditions are right. Learning to drive it in this fashion has netted me an average 19.5 MPGs over time.

I have driven all types of manual transmissions, and I have discovered the "secret" to smoothly shifting the Tacoma transmission that makes it different from every other type. In most manuals, you ease off the clutch slowly at first, while easing onto the throttle, then quickly let it out the rest of the way to engage and take off again. The Tacoma is the sort of the opposite, which is counter-intuitive at first, but once figured out, has the truck shifting so smoothly that there is no jerking or noticeable difference to other drivers on the road. Here's the "trick":

>>Ease up off the clutch quickly, for the first third of the way from the floor, slow up about there, easing it slower through the "middle" of the clutch travel, then quickly off the last little bit as you give it more throttle and take off.<<

Sounds complicated, but doing it slowly this way the first week I had it until it became second nature, made it to where this is so silky smooth and very quick now that I do it without thinking. Don't overthink it, just do what I explained, and you'll get the hang of it in no time. In the past year, I had a co-worker need a ride home after work one night, and when I pulled up to their apartment to drop them off, they were shocked to see a manual gearshift in my truck when the overhead light came on. Said to me, "This thing is a stick? I would have sworn it was an automatic if someone asked me. Every stick driver I've ridden with is always "jerky" when they change the gears." I just shrugged, said "Practice makes perfect? I don't know what to tell you.." and smiled. They had no idea the compliment they'd paid me.

This is a Truck Transmission, it is geared for towing, it is different than the transmissions found in sporty cars, but I just don't get the supposed "issues" everyone seems to be having with them. My Tacoma just rolled past 30k miles, and while the transmission isn't as "notchy" as it was when brand new, it is still very tight and smooth shifting. If you're trying to slam shift it or shift it without using the clutch, or trying to drive it like a sports car, I don't know what to tell you. I also own a '15 Camaro SS, and that car is harder to smoothly transition between gears without jerking than the Tacoma is.

One thing I can say for sure, this "floating gears" or whatever you guys are calling it, is a bad idea. Any of you reading this topic that are new to manuals and are looking for advice, or having issues, take your time and practice more, don't try jerking through the gears without using the clutch, or only halfway using the clutch, not if you want your truck to last. It may technically be possible, I'm not going to argue with anyone about that, but you'd tear a transmission up figuring it out. Well, I'm on the verge of starting a short novel here, and I've probably already lost the Ritalin takers three paragraphs ago, so I'll just stop here.

 

Well if drivers ed still taught manual that might help. Or if most people still knew..

But they don't.

I still think its a good transmission. Im sure there are some with real issues but I would bet almost all are driver error.

The throw out bearing thing was shotty part and driver error didn't help that either.

 

I will say it again if you stop by in Western Maine I'll teach you how to use your 6 spd. I will even teach you how to speed shift it if you want to abuse you truck. By the way I drove to a JFK rally in a 51 Plymouth (my first car) before he was elected I never owned an automatic car and my 5' wife has no problem with my 6 spd. I taught her how to drive a stick 47 years ago she still drives one. It's not he trans it's the driver. Yes they are a lot different than a small FWD car but so is every rear wheel drive vehicle.

 

Haha. Well I am a little younger than that but I agree.