manual question

hey everyone! This is my first tacoma and wanted to know if it's normal for the manual 2nd gens to have a loose feeling in the drive train/tranny while NOT in gear. I've noticed a lot of what sounds like metal rattling/banging while in neutral. The sound only happens while driving on bumpy roads... Almost like something is flapping around in the tranny? I got ondur the truck and torqued everything up and inspected everything. It all looks good. Makes me thing its actually something INSIDE the tranny. I'm not that good when it comes to engines...what could be causing this loose rattling noise while in Neautral and drvining on ruff terrain?

any help would be great!

PS - screw everything going on in the NEWS with TOYOTA. I will only drive TOYOTA trucks (most likely a TACO for LIFE!)

 

I notice the rattles too, i keep it in gear and not use the clutch when going over some rough areas in the road, as much as reasonable. Lots of previous posts on the topic fwiw.

 

really shouldn't be making any noise when in N.

 

IS that normal? IS there anyway to get rid of the slack?

 

Thanks! I'm getting 2 different answers here ....?

 

LOL... the title of this thread totally made me think of something else

 

Haha! Too bad i already bought the Manual

 

if you leave it in neutral and push the clutch in slightly will it stop?

 

I've noticed this as well with my manual Taco and posted questions on other threads. I think the real question would be: "Is all this "banging around" and the slack in the drive train causing any issues and/or is this something that us manual owners should worry about?"

If someone could answer that I would be more than satisfied. Thanks!

 

^agreed! The noise is not there constantly...I only get the rattling when: OUT OF GEAR & GOING OVER RUFF BUMPY ROADS. While coasting out of gear on SMOOTH roads...all is good!

 

so far looks like only 2 people are experiencing this...so i am assuming it is NOT normal?

 

Mine does the same thing so I stopped coasting in neutral.
Problem solved

 

a few people on tacomaworld reported this exact thing happening. one person took it to the dealership... cant remember what happened maybe u could find it through search. but i believe they determined nothing was wrong. and ive yet to experience this with my manual but ive only had it for 2 months

 

why don't you just try driving on a bumpy road out of gear. I'd like to see if there is only a few of us having this issue...or if it actually happens to ALL manual TACOS, but the only people who notice it are the ones who tend to coast around in N more...

 

so it's normal?

 

Yes it's normal. The slack in the drive train has to be there so there is nothing you can do about it.

On a somewhat unrelated note-Coasting in neutral is illegal in some places and limits your ability to respond to emergency events that might pop up in front of you. Same with sitting at stop lights or blind turns with the trans in neutral.

 

^yeah but then i'd need to be clutched in for the whole length of the red light...more wear on the clutch!

 

ALSO, what about just shifting (clutching in to shift) and ruff terrain. Sounds like someone is under my truck with a mallet. So the noise IS NOT the drive shaft slapping into something else...it's actually the gears INSIDE the transmission rattling?

 

Not true. It's been debated that it wears on the throw out bearing but for most people they will wear the clutch out before that happens. I'd rather be ready to avoid an accident if need be.