Trouble shifting into 1st

1999 v6 4x4 5-speed

Symptoms:
* From a dead stop, I cannot shift into 1st 90% of the time.
* Sometimes I can get it into 1st from a stop if I shift into 2nd then back down with the clutch still in.
* I can downshift fine if the truck is going <10mph
* It shifts fine into all other gears.
* It shifts like butter with the engine off.
* On rare occasions, it will slip out of 1st.

Solutions attempted:
* Replaced master&slave cylinders
* Bled the clutch until my red solo cup runneth over
* Replaced shifter bushing (original looked fine)
* Gear oil change with MT-90.
* Checked for damage/loose bolts/etc in the clutch pedal assembly, no issues found.

Any advice for what else I could look for before I spend money on a clutch kit would be much appreciated.

I've also read through the entirety of this thread, and I believe I've tried all the solutions suggested there https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hard-to-shift-into-1st-and-sometimes-all.566697/page-2

 

Miles on trans?

Miles on clutch?

 

30,000 on Transmission, unknown on clutch. Possibly original, so 260,000

 

So at 230k the trans was replaced w/o a clutch replacement, possibly on an original clutch? Seems unusual.

Was the replacement trans new, reman or a pick & pull and cross your fingers?

 

The replacement trans was new, purchased by the previous owner and installed by a shop local to him. I have the receipts for those, but nothing for a clutch.

 

My truck is similar. It will usually go into first but it takes a lot of force to get it to go into gear. No noise or grinding. Mine has never popped out of gear. Smooth as butter with the truck off.

My shift bushing is new. Slave is new and clutch hydraulic system fluid is new and has been bled. I also recently changed the transmission oil. It seemed to have gotten a little better after the oil change.

I am very interested in what you find!

 

A number of thoughts come to mind... There are instances of the clutch fork being bent just enough to not allow the disc to disengage fully. In addition, if the pilot bearing in the end of the crankshaft is dry it will have the same effect. You are trusting that the trans installer verified that the alignment dowels were in place as he installed the transmission too.

 

Based on all the things you've already looked at I'm assuming you've also experimented with clutch pedal free play...
I have a 3rd Gen 4Runner which exhibited similar symptoms, 170K orig miles on the clutch/pp/to bearing, all original, never apart.
Got more and more difficult to shift, much more so in 1st, limped it along by readjusting the pedal free play until I ran out of adj.
Took it all apart, clutch disc still had some life in it, but pressure plate springs were shot, so clutch would not fully disengage.

Odd that your clutch was overlooked when the trans was out, if it has that many miles it's prime for replacement.

 

The fact that it shifts like butter with the engine off almost always means that your problem is related to your hydraulic system. Is your new master and slave cylinder Aisin? Also, change out your hydraulic hose because your 260,000mi hydraulic hose is probably stretching/expanding when you press the clutch. What method did you use to bleed the system? Gravity bleed will probably not get air out of the master. Russel speed bleeder works good for bleeding air out of the system.

 

I find RedLine oil with Liquid Moly MoS2 additive works really well in these transmissions. With that mine is only hard to get into 1st when it's cold out until the trans warms up.

 

Sparky has great point

perished hose is a great possibility

im still hung up on the clutch system(mechanical parts) possibly being the issue
Shift fork wear
Cracked disc springs
Pressure plate finger wear

I would definitely inspect hose thing first b4 digging into clutch RR

 

My mid 90's mazda pickup 5 speed had the exact issue too. Had the trans out and apart 2 times and could not find anything obvious in the clutch assembly, the release bearing, the hydraulics etc. The synchro teeth (internal and external) on both 1st and second looked great, The hub and slider showed no obvious signs of wear. The third time out I replaced the entire 1/2 sliding assembly and that solved the problem. My tranny guy said that sometimes it is the combination of all of the little wear points that add up. Live and learn.

 

I have this issue as well. 4cyl 2.4 5spd
Doesn’t pop out of gear though. If I give it a little gas it’ll go into first no issues. Or if I’m rolling. Dead stop it is hard to get it to go in. Supposedly clutch was replaced when I bought truck. Replaced the shifter bushing and that solved the sloppyness

 

That's a good call. Just ordered the hydraulic hose, will update when I get a chance to install it.

I did the two-man "press pedal, open bleeder, close bleeder, release pedal, repeat" method.

 

do you have a part# for that hose, gen1 buddy
if not i will look it up on the parts diagrams with all else i am having to look up for the BIG BFCM sale going on out there on the interWebs

 

31481-04030 for the rigid hose and 31482-04040 for the flexible hose. Shouldn't cost you more than $35 for both.

 

Hopefully that helps and you don't have to dig into the clutch further. The two man bleed system should work but also try using a Russell Speed bleeder after you change the hydro hose. I believe it's part # 639560, same as the brakes.

 

Thanks, I was about to ask you about the thread size, but that works much better! Also, to answer you other question; yes, but cylinders are Aisin.