To tune, or not to tune? That is the question. Manual transmission.

This has been a really great thread, it sounds like even folks with manual transmissions are seeing great benefits from tuning, this has totally convinced me to "go for it."

But there was also mention of the accumulator delete mod. I'm still waivering on that.

I just picked up my 2021 TRD Sport a couple weeks ago. I'm coming from a 2006 2.7L manual transmission truck... and I can totally feel the difference in the shifting.

My dilemma is, I was showing my truck to my mechanic friend, and mentioned wanting to get the accumulator delete mod done here real soon, and he was really adamant that I shouldn't risk messing up my warranty. It's a certified used truck with less than 17k miles on it...

 

They would never know. they would never go into the accumulator

 

If I do the accumulator delete, it seems like buying the disc is the way to go. Is that how most folks are doing it, or do some folks prefer an alternate method...

 

I always keep the stock parts and if I have a problem I’ll toss the part back in before taking a trip to the dealership.

 

That makes sense, thanks for that...

 

I have always kind of done the same thing with every one of my cars since I was a kid. I try to but all my aftermarket parts used. Rule of thumb, 1/2 price for used parts. I put the stock part back in the box and toss it in a tote box. The. When I sell the car I return it back to stock and sell the parts for what I paid or maybe a little less if I want to move it quicker. Plus I can always return it back to stock if I’m goin in for a service or something. Also, I do think it’s easier to sell a stock used car.

 

I make the disk but in truth it's about what your goals are

Removing the accumulator and modifying it with a Dremel is free and effective. There is little risk in doing it wrong or breaking something, it's also very hard to spot

Putting in a line that bypasses the accumulator is the most effective method, it completely removes any of the accumulator fluid pathways. It is also relatively inexpensive. It is however noticable.

The disk is another way to do it and is a quick in and out without being noticable. Even if someone did take the accumulator apart they would need to know the inner workings to notice the disk.

In every case I do recommend switching to low viscosity brake fluid. At normal summer temps the viscosity difference is miniscule but at colder temps it thickens up much less than regular dot 3

 

From my experience a tune is possibly the single best mod you can do to the Taco. My tune evolution went from stock tune & 33s, to KDmax on 33s then to 35s, to my current set up which has the best results is The Overland Tailor Torque tune for 35s / 5.29 gears and an AGM. Truck feels the best it ever has. Gear changes are crisp and there is alot less gear hunting. In comparison to the KDmax tune the Overland Tailor keeps the RPMS lower and it feels like there is more torque on the lower end, which we desperately need. For reference I went with the Medium spicy tune with the option of full spicy once the ECT button is pressed. I'm happy with it so far.

I put the truck on the dyno after the KDmax tune and was not impressed with the numbers, also tested an HPS tube at the same time. Overland Tailor has dyno sheets up on the site. I may put them to the test on a dyno, I have not decided. Right now I'm enjoying what it feels like.

Once you re-gear so high numerically the speed limiter kicks in early so if you ever have to go past 83 or so, a tune is required, also for the AGM battery a tune is required to up the power from the alternator.

 

I have a 2022 Taco SR 4x4 at. What tune should I go with? I contacted OV tunes but no response?

 

Check out KDmax tune...a hell of a lot of us on it and a hell of a lot of us love it.

 

Thanks just found a local tuner will contact them and set up an appointment.

 

Thanks for all that. The "not noticeable" aspect seems like the winner for me for the disc solution. By the way, by switching to low viscosity fluid, you mentioned summer temperatures, so it sounds like it's good all year, in summer too?

 

It seems like how widespread the KDmax tune is used speaks well of it, and the ease of finding a tuner...

 

Agreed.

I went with OTT after almost a year of ownership (so the truck had my driving habits stored).

Not messing with doing it myself though...I trust my Tuner and I've been happy since.

 

By the way, I have what might be a dumb question for you. From what I've been reading on Tacomaworld this morning, it sounds like the second gen Tacomas had an accumulator. But was it just the six-cylinder MT Tacomas that had an accumulator, or did the four-cylinder 2.7L second gen Tacomas have an accumulator as well?

I'm asking because my previous Tacoma was an '06 2.7L MT truck and the clutch didn't feel like the one on this low-miles 2021 I just picked up. In my '06 truck, "'Ol Rusty," the clutch seemed to feel much more responsive and I took great pleasure in really trying to make each shift as perfect as possible... the clutch just felt better.

 

Yep, low viscosity fluid is good year round, no need to swap back and forth.

 

Good question. I'm not sure, I'll have to look.

 

Getting a tune from someone you know nothing about from maybe another state that you only made contact with in an email, on a 40 50 grand truck is always reassuring

 

The OTT Tuner I was put in contact with for the tri-state area is from NJ. He sets up a meet in northern Delaware and all I have to do is drive about 40+ miles north.

Before install, he briefed that after my test drive with the tune, if I did not like it, he'd remove it. (I think a $50 fee would be fair considering appointment set-up)

Here's the last update I had back in Sep 2022. OTT 8.0 with Gear Lock

 

I've followed along with much of the MT tuning discussions and ADM saga, but have yet to do either to my truck. The reason I bought my truck was because I had the chance to test drive a 6MT (basically the identical trim that I ended up buying eventually) and loved everything about it. I came from 13 years of driving manuals prior to, all being 1999 or older, most well over 100k when I started driving them, so it's possible jumping to a brand new 2020 was enough of an improvement in and of itself. However, I can comfortably say after 30k miles that I still love rowing the gears, and I genuinely look forward to driving it everyday.

Is reverse gear too tall? Absolutely, same as my 1st gen.

Should 1st and 2nd be closer together? I used to think so, but now I just rev it out in 1st more to compensate.

Should 5th and 6th be farther apart? A higher 6th would be nice when driving on the interstate going 70 mph.

None of these are fixed by a tune or the ADM (although the 2Lo mod is still on my wish list to solve reverse, eventually). These are also only minor grievances that took maybe a few thousand miles to get used to, but there's been a learning curve on every manual I've owned. That's part of the fun IMO, every manual has different HP/TQ, clutch feel, shifting feel, gear ratios, etc. I think it's part of the reason I like manuals, it feels like you get to learn more about the vehicle and how it likes to be driven.

If I never read these forums, I wouldn't think twice about a tune or the ADM, nor would I have come here looking for solutions to problems that I don't personally have with the truck. I've driven two different AT's, and those would likely have left me searching for answers within the first couple of weeks of owning the truck.

A tune and the ADM are both still on my list of things to consider in the future, but they're at the bottom of the list in terms of priorities. If they both turn out to be well worth the squeeze, I'll update my opinion on them.