Touchy manual shifting 1st to 2nd gear

My 2014 5 speed manual with 9000 miles is very difficult to shift smoothly into 2nd gear without revving up to about 2800 - 3000 rpm. Is there a trick to this or can something be adjusted/replaced to fix? Seems like I have to really gun it and build up speed then shift quickly to get a smooth shift. Maybe I just suck at driving stick but all the other gears are fine. Thanks for any feedback.

 

Have you checked the fluid level in the tranny? It's not a common problem with MTs, but you could be low. You're at low mileage, but changing fluid might help too - Redline MT 90 or some other quality synthetic.

 

I think part of it is getting used to the truck. I too noticed that I can achieve a smoother shift if I shift out of 1st above 3k rpm vs below. That said, once you get used to it you can shift pretty smoothly even at lower revs.

The Tacoma 5sp manual is definitely a quirky transmission. I've owned 10 or so cars over the past 18yrs, all manuals except for one, and this one is by far the most fussy to get right.

Ps: I run MT90 in it.

 

A big part for me was jusy getting used to my truck. Each manual transmission you drive is going to have its own unique characteristics that you have to figure out. For example if I come to a complete stop and put my truck in neutral, it won't shift into first gear when I need to move. After countless clutch & transmission shops (everyone said my truck was fine) and thinking something was wrong with my truck I finally figured out how to work around the problem. I have to slide the shifter into first at the same time I come to a stop as one fluid motion. Jusy play around with it and figure your clutch out. I doubt that your clutch has any problems with the amount of miles you have. I have never changed the clutch with over 350k miles on my truck d I've been told that my clutch and shifter feel amazing (like a video game)

 

Operator error

 

make sure you dont use the shifter boot to store junk, makes it harder to shift.

 

On mine, if I am in a hurry going from 1-2 would go in with a crunch sometimes. The 5-speed doesn't like to be rushed. Move it to 2nd, apply some pressure, let the synchros do its thing and it will fall into place. If you force it, the teeth will slam into each other. Also, one thing to note is that there is some rev hang that could throw off your timing.

 

Sounds like you suck at driving manual

 

My 2 cents I am old school and had manuals and blown them up to like m20,s.Anyway if it doesn't come with synthetic only use a semi synthetic mix.Because on older ones they Need drag from the lube to Help in gauge next gear.Syn is too slippery. Hey my 2 cents..

 

Thanks for all the input everyone. I do suck at driving stick shift but am getting better and am finding the sweet spot for 1st to 2nd

 

I drove manual trucks my entire life and I always had shift issues from 1st to 2nd on my 6 speed Tacoma.

 

Seems like if I don't gun it to get enough forward momentum there isn't enough time to shift smoothly or if your going into 2nd while decelerating at all it clunks and clangs.. Not feeling very fuel efficient during those shifts. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Do you have a video of your shifting?

 

I'm on my second manual 6 speed. Both have been touchy going into second. The new manuals have safe guards to stop you from shifting at the wrong RPM, that's why your stick might feel like its getting caught sometimes when you shift.

As for the smooth transition into second gear, check your fluids and make sure your clutch is in good shape just to be on the safe side. But the fact is you gotta be up to about 2500-3000 rpm, that's just how the Tacoma is. You can do it at a lower rpm, but you'll need to ride the clutch a little more to make it smooth.

 

What do you mean while decelerating? Are you trying to engine brake?

Or do you mean you're stopping for a red light that turns green when you're down to about 20mph, so you'll hit 2nd to start accelerating again?

 

Its easy to smooth out that 1-2 shift; quit trying to shift QUICKLY. Just think of the thing as a bulldozer. Press in the clutch, pop it out of first, stop in the neutral-left position, put some pressure on it into the 2nd gear position, wait for it to pop into gear, release the clutch.

The 1-2 shift is a two stage process; out of 1, and then into 2.

This is not a race car. This is a work truck.

 

I don't know. I shift quickly from 1st to 2nd and its smooth as could be.