New MT Owner, 1st to 2nd shifting question

Not from my experience at all. OEM fluid or Redline MT-90. Redline slightly improved shifting in very cold weather but thats it.

I can shift at low RPMs from 1st to second and its very smooth, absolutely zero issues.

This is one of the nicest transmissions I have ever driven.

https://youtu.be/dX38e5UbE3s?si=R08I8hMfYXrCwG5m

 

YMMV of course. I have ~600k miles on m/t's of different kinds. 4 out of 5 didn't really start feeling good until they had 30 or 40 thousand miles on them.

'08 BMW 328xs being the exception (While expensive AF to operate, it was damn near perfect within a couple K)

Might want to try a MT fluid change. Last two intervals I have been using the Motorcraft Synthetic stuff (Ford spec for the Cobra). I believe it is popular for many other applications like Tacoma, Miata and Subaru

Not cheap, but I've gone ~40k-50k per change, so $ per mile is LOW. (Afraid of fake Amazon, so I pay ~20% more to get it from the Ford dealer):
https://www.motorcraft.com/us/en_us...ynthetic-manual-transmission-fluids.html/1000

 

For a truck and for what's available here I agree. Clutch is damn near perfect, most mt trucks I have driven feel like the clutch could give out any second with no warning, just numb. (Still our ratio for reverse is hella stupid high)

Lets say 3rd Gen v6 m/t is a 10. IMO comparisons would be:

- 1st Gen Tacoma, 4cyl/2wd = 9.5 (1-2 ratio a LITTLE off and 5th a little too high for the power it made, other than that perfect)
- early 90's S-10 = 4 (Really long throw, terrible pressure plate engineering, kind of whack 1-2, 2-3 ratios)
- 90's Isuzu diesel = 9 (Super smooth, 1 finger low effort, good ratio's, only downside was the long throw)
- 90's Mitsubishi mini-truck = 8 (Very similar to the Isuzu, just a little rubbery)
- US Army 2.5 ton = 6 (Long, heavy, double clutch required for 1st and R, but still better than the S10)
- 70's Dodge with 3 on the tree = 6 (throws were a little long, long and HEAVY clutch)
- late model, Mitsubishi, 4cyl diesel [Asian made?], drove it in Africa = 7 (Real rubbery, long thows, weird 1-2-3 ratio's)
- late model, African Landcruiser = 8 (Little heavier / stiffer and less clutch feel vs 3rd gen)
- Beat AF HiLux = 8 (Longer throws, little rubbery and numb clutch, BUT literally bullet proof)

 

I complained about first gear when I first got mine. After taking it off road into some gnarly situations I have a real appreciation for how it's geared. Compared to other manuals I have driven off road this thing is a tank. Made me look more competent than I really am. Not a joy to drive in traffic but a dream on the trails, which is great for me as it's not my daily.

 

This is the 8th manual vehicle I’ve owned. Every one drove and shifted completely different, and I always had the initial complaint or two. After a month or so I feel like my body recalibrated with each vehicle, and I never have any complaints after. Give it some time and I’m sure your habits will smooth out in line with what makes the truck happy.

 

2021 MT here. Bought truck brand new with 11 miles on it (now has 50k). My 11th manual tranny vehicle, so not new to shifting life. That being said, shifting Tacoma from 1st-2nd for a while was a bit rough and clunky. Now however, shifting is smooth as Toyota butter. Maybe tranny just needed to be broken in? I think in time you’ll find the same to be true.

 

As has been mentioned here a few times, all this boils down to is rev hang. Adm, short throw shifter, different fluid will do nothing to help. Last time I asked the tuners about it they still hadn't worked out how to fix it so no need for me to tune mine.

I have done all 3 for different reasons but nothing will help aside from better shifting technique.

 

This is so me on the way back from picking up irresistible takeout Baby Back Ribs and I don't want to get my grey TRD ball greasy? Or that's just how Cal Ripken drives a bus?

 

Bought my 21 OR new and after a short bit of driving and learning the RPMs to avoid computer rev hanging, shifting has been nothing but smooth for me. I've been driving nothing but manuals for 40 years though, so it is possible shifting is now part of my DNA, but I have also owned a JL wrangler, and for those saying the Tacoma is the roughest shifting vehicle they have driven, I am betting they have not endured the MOPAR Italian racing clutch experience.

 

I find that my 22 OF likes to be shifted with patience. Not so much the shift lever, but the clutch release. For smoother shifts, I do have to slip the clutch a little more. On the 1-2 shift, I will release the clutch pedal about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the way, pause, apply some throttle, feel the truck coming back on power, then release the clutch. It does take a second or two.

 

Rev it higher before shifting, do not accelerate while pushing the clutch in, and do not let revs drop down too much before engaging the clutch (2nd gear). Transmission fluid has nothing to do with it unless getting shifter in the gear is a problem

 

There's no magic to it. I would definitely recommend the ADM (dremel or disk), tune, and Redline.