Manual transmission first gear only partially engaged

I know it’s normal to sometimes have an issue getting into first at a stop. But I’ve had it twice where I didn’t notice it was only partially in gear. Once when someone else was driving and it grinded which of course was not great and the second time with me driving and I’m not sure if it did because I didn’t hear anything over the music (which was only at like 18). But I noticed when the truck didn’t start moving of course. So my question is, how bad is it that this happened twice and what exactly is happening that it gets stuck halfway? Thank you for any insight and I will definitely be more careful in the future.

 

Double clutch before downshifting into first. Feels nicer as it engages.

 

This is more often when shifting into first after sitting at a long light.

 

Motorcraft XT-M5-QS, it meets the Toyota specifications and has a reputation as a "problem solver" fluid for balky manual transmissions.

I changed to the Motorcraft at 30K. On the first trip around the block I was stunned at the improvement in smoothness, the transmission felt instantly "slicker".
I had experienced occasional first gear blocking and also the "crunchy" second gear shift, I don't shift (or drive) very fast.

Previously I was frequently conscious of the syncromesh working when shifting, I could feel it in the stick, it wouldn't grind but you knew it was there, after the fluid change the sensation was gone.

Motorcraft data sheet:

https://fcsdchemicalsandlubricants.com/products/transmission-fluid/productdetails?id=1

Rock Auto had the best price.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/motorcraft,XTM5QS,transmission+fluid,13630

 

Deleting the clutch delay valve thing fixed this on mine. Used the Firn disk and Motul dot 4 fluid. I’d be curious to see if that Motorcraft fluid could help it feel better still.

 

Totally forgot about the adm. it’s been so long. I’m pretty sure I used amsoil, want to try the ford stuff next. But just changing the fluid helped so much, feels so much nicer.

 

Stop granny shiftin

 

True dat.
I think 6 of the 8 cars I've ever owned were all manuals - and I learned to do this often.

The hidden beauty of manuals is so few can operate one they never ask to 'borrow' your vehicle, and if you
get car-jacked the 'jacker' ain't goin nowhere.

 

Haha yeah I’m guilty of that sometimes.

 

Except for that I learned to drive manual at the same time as my twin brother. Also at the same time the vehicle he was driving decided to blow its head gasket. The truck has definitely been getting more use than I thought it would when I bought it.

 

I thought about deleting the accumulator as well. But I really don’t have a ton of experience with anything without one. My previous manual FJ I believe had one too although not nearly has robust as the Tacoma’s. For now I’ve decided to get used to it since I don’t know much different anyways.

 

I’ll look into this! Do you or anyone else have a preference over this or Amsoil products? I planned on using severe gear in my differentials and was going to use their transmission fluid as well. What fluid do you use in your differentials as well? I’m at 22k miles at the moment so I will be getting this done in the next year or so.

 

Clean lubricants of the proper specification are generally more important than brand.
In most applications any name brand product that meets published specifications works fine.

In the case of the Motorcraft product it does seem to be a problem solver for balky transmissions in a wide variety of applications.

I found this on a Miata forum while researching:

"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!)."

 

I run the same in my Miata, it's normally a pretty slick gearbox, but after a few hundred miles, I could feel the difference. It's worth the price.

 

I have tried a bunch of different fluids including the Motorcraft twice and nothing has solved me occasionally getting blocked from 1st. Thankfully I’ve never been blocked out without knowing it, so I haven’t experienced grinding from that. But in my experience, no matter what fluid you use, this will happen sometimes.

Never has happened to me in any of my other manual transmission vehicles over the years. It’s annoying for sure, and it always happens right when you want to go, like leaving from a stoplight. People probably think we’re slow.

 

I’d change the fluid. Redline MT-90 is excellent. Can’t comment on the Ford fluid. Look for metal.

 

You should do the adm.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mt-accumulator-delete-mod-adm-and-bs-thread.568303/


This is a good thread for changing fluids
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-manual-transmission-6mt-fluid-change.481719/


And this one is will answer a lot of questions too https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2-7l-update-3rd-gen-maintenance-maps-get-300k-miles.789809/

 

Yeah it definitely wasn’t a great experience. And it’s not like I held it there thinking it was in gear. With my FJ if it didn’t let you in it fully didn’t let you in. With this it kind of sticks halfway almost like it rests in the synchronized zone. The time it happened to me I did not hear grinding over the music I just noticed I wasn’t going anywhere and the shifter was shaking a bit. I will definitely not be letting it happen again and neither will the other person who drove it and had it happen.

 

I forget if the previous gen transmissions (FJ and 2nd gen Tacoma) had a triple cone synchro. This truck's transmission does. I wonder if that plays a part in how this happens. Mine is the same, I get halfway in, not blocked completely. I'm sure if I tried to drive on that I would grind. Thankfully I feel exactly when it doesn't go right and so I don't ever end up driving on it that way. I do end up fidgeting with it in the moment longer than I should, and really the quick fix is to let out the clutch and try again, or shift to 2nd and then to 1st. One of those works better than the other, I can't remember which though because this hasn't happened in a few weeks.

 

I used MT90 in my FJ and it seemed good, however it didn’t fix some of the notchiness or getting blocked from first. I am not worried about getting blocked from first once in a while as people have previously said it’s common in Toyota transmissions I just want to be sure I didn’t damage anything. It was just a bit of a learning curve for me because it didn’t fully block me out of gear like my FJ would.