Issues with first gear when cold?

When was the last time the clutch hydraulic system fluid was flushed?

 

Is everyone reporting shifting anomalies 100% it isn’t due to driver error? I sometimes miss-shift when under stress or distracted. In particular I sometimes miss second by pulling the shifter too far to the left. In no other case have I had any trouble shifting with any lubricant, temperature (down to -20F), or phase of the moon.

I can say the same thing about every vehicle I have owned except for my buddy’s wrangler that likes to slip out of 1st.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that if you do time the clutch correctly, you will hear and feel steel cogs grinding.

 

I have an experiment I need a volunteer for. Drain all the oil out of your manual transmission, take it for a drive, and test the shifting performance. I suspect you won’t be able to detect a thing other than increased gear mesh noise as the gears rotate.

CAVEAT: I’m not sure how the synchros will
react. They might work better than normal due to increased friction or the friction surfaces might disintegrate.

Don’t drive too long or too fast or you risk excessive wear and overheating of the transmission.

 

I had a 2000 Jeep Cherokee five speed that was extremely difficult to shift from 1st to 2nd when the temperature got below 30°. A shop switched out to a thinner fluid and it fixed it immediately and permanently.

 

Fvck these are the best threads...

Oil debates in MT transmissions touching upon gear hunting.

The trifecta!

 

OP, I have the same problem. I have put 120k on my ‘17 and when it’s cool out (doesn’t even have to be cold), on the first downshift out of my neighborhood, she’s very reluctant to go into 1st, even below 1-2 mph. I’ll usually go to 2nd and try again and/or go to N and release the clutch and try again, but yes it’s very, very stiff. After about 1/2 mile of driving it seems to warm up. I’m running Redline MT90. All of the vehicles I’ve owned since ‘77 have been manual (except one) and I don’t remember any of them being so reluctant.

 

No issues here as described by OP.

 

Yeah but you’ve got a unicorn…

 

aw yeah!

 

What the hell are you doing down shifting to first at 10-15mph?

 

I have been driving manuals for 25 years now. Every single car is hard to shift into first both with any forward movement. It has to do with the synchros alignment. Double clutch it or shift into second then into first to help align the synchros making it easier into first.

I read in this thread a lot of people downshifting into first which is generally hard on the transmission and not needed 99% of the time.

 

I don’t do it at that high of speed often, just saying that it can be done and works fine. Other transmissions don’t like doing so, but this one is perfectly fine with it in my experience.

I do it often from 5-10 mph as I prepare to drive slowly in my alley, which is too slow for 2nd gear. I’m not coming to a complete stop from a 30 mph road to put it into 1st and start back out. I will drop it into 1st while I’m rolling and work the clutch properly to make it smooth. It has no issues dropping into 1st at speed.

Literally other people have said they have dropped it into 1st at 25-30 mph, which I don’t know who would do that, but people have done it and say it works. Not for me, but it definitely supports me saying it works fine at a lower speed.

 

Many older transmissions did not have a synchro for 1st and thus were difficult to shift into first while moving. This transmission is different. It has a synchro for first and thus you can shift into first while moving. I do it all the time to overcome the tall 2nd gear.

 

The last domestic non syncro 3 speed transmissions were used around 1975, most members here have probably never driven a 3 speed manual.

 

Use yours.

 

I beg to differ. My 1981 Datsun had a 5 speed definitely with no synchro for first. I don’t think my 1980’s Ford, 1990s Mirsibushi, or 2001 Subaru either. If they had one, it didn’t work very well. I didn’t disassemble the transmission and look. As far as I remember, my 2016 Taco was the first to have one.

 

RE: the Motorcraft fluid

Again, I will respectfully disagree.

I will agree that under most applications any clean high quality fluid, of the correct specification, from any reputable manufacturer will work as intended.

However, I also spent my life making machinery run more reliably and last longer.

Every now and then you run into an application where a particular machine seems to "like" or "dislike" a product even thought they meet the same specifications.

Does it make sense "looking at the numbers" -- perhaps not.

On the other hand just about any older person in a maintenance trade who is actually good at his job rather than just a parts changing hack can think back and find an example or two where they have experienced this.


I purchased my truck with 12,000 miles, it was balky shifting then. I did some reading - researching things like this was my bread & butter at my work. I changed the the Motorcraft fluid at 30,000 and it was immediately no longer balky.


Below please find a quote from a Miata forum. I felt it was the best summary of my reading.

"If you're talking about the Motorcraft, it was designed for use in the Getrag designed for the Focus, not the 'Stang. The Focus(especially the SVT) had a HORRIBLY notchy and hard to shift transmission from the factory and Ford called upon Fuchs to design a transmission fluid that would alleviate these issues. This is where the 'miracle fluid' legacy started as it quite literally made these cars feel like a new transmission was dropped in them. Then people started using it in all sorts of different transmissions with overwhelmingly positive results. I know the Speed3 guys love this stuff almost as much as we do(but we're better because RWD!)."


STOP, don't type anything yet:

I am well aware that this is just one unsubstantiated data point, not a full on engineering study.

Consider these sports car folks have a great deal more manual transmissions in thier membership and as a group undoubtedly push their cars much harder than the majority of Tacoma drivers, these fellows are driving enthusiasts and weekend racers, they have observations and experience worthy of thought.

 

Apparently you missed the word domestic in my post.



"The last domestic non syncro 3 speed transmissions were used around 1975, most members here have probably never driven a 3 speed manual."