Which gears are synchronized?

I've heard on some vehicles that certain gears are synchronized and some are not. On the tacoma, which shifts are synchronized?

1 to 2?
2 to 3?
3 to 4?
4 to 5?
5 to 4?
4 to 3?
3 to 2?
2 to 1?

One random thing I noticed is that I have a tough time moving the lever into 2nd when shifting 1 to 2 but going from 3 to 2 never causes a problem. Weird huh? It led me to wonder if 1 to 2 is synchronized but 3 to 2 is not.

 

1 - 5 incl R

perhaps the issue lay with a worn shifter cup (seat)
has worn and possibly needs replacement.
or replace with the highy revered Marlin Crawler cup (seat)

it's possible you damaged the syncros index tip.
But that repair entails dismantling the gear box.

Be sure yer clutch hydraulics are fresh and without a residual air bubble in the line(s) ?
leaks anywhere ? (could be sucking air)

Just throwing those ideas out there...
because you'll want to try everything else...
before thinking of repairing the gearbox syncros.

If the syncros do prove to be of fault...
then it'll likely be cheaper to locate a salvage yard replacement.

If ya have the gumption to tackle it yourself
I've seen a few discussion/articles related to tranny Gbox disassembly.
Ran across a few when googling... but failed to save and link them here.

 

Are they synchronized going both ways or just one way? If it's synchronized both ways, does 2-3 share the same synchro as 3-2?

I just received the Marlin Crawler shifter parts today, and I have new trans oil (although it was oiled 1.5k miles ago with unknown fluid) which I'll add soon, and I already bled the clutch. I might replace the master/slave even tho it's not leaking.

 

The engagement should be the same either up or down.

Tho' I believe there is a lockout when shifting down 2nd to 1st
if the rpm is still to high.

I have a lockright full time locker out back...
so occasionally if that locks up... it can make shifting a little more finicky.

Something I've accustomed to...
but others may find shifting difficult in my rig.

But it mostly comes down to my timing
and my feel for the clutch - shift sensitivity.

When I had an open rear diff...
never had any difficulty shifting smoothly.

 

Ok thanks that's super weird. Why would a trans be hard to move the lever (with the clutch pushed in fully) from 1 to 2 (only when moving) but easy from 3 to 2?

 

How many miles on the rig/tranny? Worn synchros could cause this but it should be bidirectional as you've mentioned before.

 

It has 150k miles. Yeah I don't know, if I downshift from 3-2 (with clutch pushed in), I can blip the throttle and it slots into the new gear at the higher RPM with little effort. If I try to move the lever from 1-2 (with clutch pushed in) at higher RPM (let's say 2500-4000) it gives resistance until the RPM falls to near idle, and even then it's not ultra smooth. At a stop I feel slightly more resistance on the 1-2 shift vs the 2-3 shift, but not much different. If I shift out of 1 as soon as I get rolling (low RPM, like 1500-2000), it shifts decently. It seems to be RPM related.

In case it isn't clear, there is no issue when releasing the clutch, it's just getting the lever to move into the new gear while moving.

 

Does the shift feel 2 staged? Like you push it, hit a wall, then push again to finally get it in gear?

 

Yes it does, if I start from a higher RPM, and it feels like I can push again once the RPM drops.

 

I don't know a ton about transmissions, but it sounds like a synchro issue to me. I have a similar issue going from 4 to 5 in mine but I've just lived with for years. 1 to 2 would piss me off. Take it to a reputable shop and have them drive it. Where do you live? If its the Bay Area I can recommend a place...

EDIT: Just yesterday I felt a thud getting into reverse. First time. Perhaps the issue I've been dealing with is beginning to manifest in other ways...

 

I'm in Oakland actually!

 

Perfect! The place is in SF on Geary St called Toy Shop. The owner's name is Wayland. Asian guy who's parents were probably hippies Anyway, my family and I have been using him for years and he's great. PM'ing you my number. Let me know if you want to grab a beer tomorrow or some other time and show me the problem. We'll figure it out.

 

Simple suggestion. Have you checked your oil level? Its possible you're low enough for the lower gears not to get enough...

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...on-your-5-speed-transmission-write-up.338836/

 

I've got a hitch going from first to second as well. Had it before and after new clutch and new shifter seat. If I take my time with that shift it shifts smoother, and I *think* if I apply pressure towards the driver side on the shifter it shifts smoother. I deal with by driving as if I want the truck to last forever and going easy on the hardware.

 

I just replaced the shifter seat and cap with the marlin crawler parts. I didn't expect it to do anything, and I almost didn't install it because I expected nothing to happen. My shifting into 2nd is way better now! I did multiple hard accelerations to 4-5k RPM and shifting quickly (within 1k RPM drop) without any bad feeling. I can't guarantee it was the Marlin Crawler parts as I also cleaned up some gunk, but it was quite likely the Marlin Crawler parts. The shift into 2nd might still be a touch slower than into 3rd, but I'm not really sure. In any case it's a lot better--no longer feel like I need a new transmission.

 

Awesome, man. Great to hear. I love happy endings