More Clutch Issues!! I’m stumped

So, I’m having clutch issues…again and again and again. I’m getting frustrated because I can’t figure it out.

I’ve got a 96 3.4 4wd tacoma. I bought it and replaced the clutch right away along with all the suspension and steering and a bunch of maintenance as I do with all my tacomas (I’ve had a lot of 1st gens). Keep in mind, when I did the clutch I replaced everything:
OEM clutch and bearings
OEM master & slave cylinder
OEM pedal assembly and bushings
OEM clutch pedal spring
LUK flywheel
Marlin crawler stainless clutch line
Marlin crawler shifter bushings
URD short throw

The first clutch had a faulty pilot bearing after 500 miles…bummer. So I pulled the trans again and replaced it. After about 3-5k miles my clutch started feeling not great. During high rpm shifts(above 3k)you could feel the bearing and hear it as the rpm dropped into the next gear. It started chirping really bad so I pulled the trans and replaced everything again except the flywheel cause it had no wear. Annoyed but oh well. And yes the pedal was adjusted properly with the right amount of free play.

All was well with the new clutch! Felt good and was excited for it to be quiet…until it started getting the same feeling and noise during high rpm shifts again. I didn’t think much of it because I’m pretty hard on my truck. Towing dirt bikes and snowmobiles, rock crawling Moab, bouncing rev limiter while plowing through door deep snow, etc. I loosened the free play in the pedal to more than recommended thinking maybe there’s a little bit of pressure still. But it has slowly been getting worse. And today it started lightly chirping. I’m at the 5k mile mark on clutch number 2 in the last 10-12k miles.

Im stumped… I’ve replaced everything. Everything is within spec. I’ve pulled my trans 3 times and I’ve owned the truck less than a year. WHAT COULD IT BE!? Possible faulty master or slave? Is it a tranny issue with the input shaft? Is it totally my fault and I’m just too dumb to realize? I can usually figure things out when it comes to old yotas but I’m finally giving up and tuning to you guys. Any thoughts?

 

A few ideas… first thought is is the disc installed correctly. On Tacomas the disc hub that protrudes out farther goes towards the flywheel. On most other vehicle it goes away from the flywheel. Verify the separator plate is perfectly flat, take it off and look at it, especially where it goes over the alignment dowels. Either pull the alignment dowels out and reseat them flat or verify that they do not protrude unequally from the block. Check that the bore of the alignment dowel recess in the trans is OK. I have seen where the separator plate was distorted/bent and/or the dowels prevent the trans from sitting flush against the block. When you have the separator plate off double check the core plug on the D/S rear of the block. That little projection of casting for that cylinder is where all of the crap in the cooling system sits and rots the steel core plug out from the inside.

 

If you are yanking all that shit out again and still have your old flywheel compare them. I had some issues with the LUK Flywheel on my 2.7.

also, If hes still active @gearcruncher is a wealth of knowledge.

 

I do know that I put the disc in correctly. I installed the pressure/separator plate how it’s advised to and torqued to spec so I don’t think that’s a problem, but it could be. I’ve never heard of the dowels being out of line but I see that being a problem. What’s the proper way to remove and reset those?

Also I failed to mention, I pulled the boot off the clutch fork while it was idling and shined a light in there. I noticed the throw out bearing was sitting on the pressure plate and spinning with it. There was no tension on the pedal. I had almost an 1 1/2” of play. Is that normal for it to be in constant light contact? It still works as it should just doesn’t feel as it should.

 

Just a string of bad luck!

Besides the pilot bearing failure is it correct the only clutch problem is a noisy bearing. No slipping ( burning) no refusing to go into gear .

You have checked the firewall for being cracked?

The clutch that was in the truck when you bought it was worn to the point it had already failed?

Any more you need to compare the parts being removed with the parts being installed to the mm.

The clutch fork might be bent just enough to cause the clutch release bearing to hang up on the input shaft.

Any more these clutch release bearings have a habit of chirping.

I could see an easy 3 to 5 thousand miles till it starts. If i pulled things apart for some release bearing noise it might be once a month.

Some thoughts good luck.

 

Is it just the light chirping that is concerning you? My stock clutch (release bearing) chirped for 10's of thousands of miles. It's still going at 216k. Still shifts fine and no slipping....the clutch fork pivot did break.

 

I’m more concerned with the feel. You can feel the bearing almost grinding when shifting high rpm. But there’s no grinding noises. Cold start it has a whirring noise and it goes away once fully warm.

Clutch doesn’t slip, no burning smells, it still works as it should. Maybe I’m just overthinking it. I’m an extreme perfectionist when it comes to my vehicles and the smallest things but me and get fixed immediately. Maybe I just need to realized the trucks 26 years old and has 230k miles and is just gonna be noisy.

 

If it makes you happy keep changing clutch release bearing every oil change.

Send your removed bearings to people that will tun them another few years.

You are using bearings bought From Toyota? Many vendors might sell after market to the general public several times the quality is not near as good.

Good Luck

 

Yes I’m buying them from a dealer! The last 2 clutch jobs I did I had it in and out of the garage driving in 5 hours with a pizza break. So at this point it’s just a normal Friday night thing haha

 

In 1st gens, the bearing contacts the clutch cover fingers all the time, it's normal. Free play in he linkage has nothing to do with this contact. The "return" spring in the slave shown below is responsible.



Some clutch disks have come with an orientation marking that is not correct, likely for some other application using the same disk.
From the FSM.

 

I would have a new clutch in mine right now of I could do it that quick and easy...instead I'm still on the original. Is this a home garage, or shop garage?

 

This is home garage haha. I’ve just got basic sockets and wrenches. My truck sits just barely high enough I don’t have to lift it up at all either. I did buy a tranny Jack from harbor freight and that makes it easier cause the first time I did a clutch on a previous truck I just manhandled the trans in and out.