Macallan12

I need your help, please. I have been trying to get my manual tranny back in order. I have a 99 tacoma, 4wd, 5 speed, 60k miles, new tranny fluid from the dealer, new shifter seat and bushing, and newly bled clutch line. My problem is the following -- the clutch engages at different points in the stroke; sometimes near the bottom, sometimes near the top. Also, sometimes the pedal is hard to push, like there's a ton of pressure in the line, and other times is light as a feather. Also, at times my tranny makes clunking noises like there's a ton of pressure in it trying to release. My tranny is like Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do not see any visible cracking of the clutch assembly either. This is driving me crazy, as I am very easy on the truck, and shift slower on days when it seems to need it.

rimpainter.com

Forgive me for reading too much into semantics (if that is the case), but did you have the tranny apart at some point? Was the truck at the dealer for this problem in the past?

Sounds like they bought some time and conveniently booted you out of the warranty period. Is that true?

Macallan12

Sorry for the confusion, but I just meant that I'm trying to get it working like it did just a few months ago. I do not have the tranny apart, but did take it to the dealer a month ago when the shifting started to act up. This is the normal 1st and 2nd gear trouble that seems to find most tacoma 5-speeds, and that led to the work that I mentioned above.

The dealer didn't find anything wrong when they looked at it, and simply changed the fluid and put an additive into the tranny. It has continued to degrade since then, and I can't seem to figure out why.

rimpainter.com

Hmm, I wonder if something is up with the clutch slave cyl. Have someone work the clutch while you are under the vehicle watching the piston meet the cup on the throwout fork. Have them pump the clutch and see if the action is consistent and is meeting the cup in the same spot. Let us know what you see.

joatmon

Check the clutch mounting bracket on the firewall under the dash. Mine cracked and the clutch acts like it's not working. Basically when you press the clutch in it causes the firewall/bracket to flex which in turns causes the clutch push rod not to engage the slave cylinder correctly. Guess it was pretty common for the trucks.

Macallan12

Thanks for the suggestions; here's how it went...

I checked the slave cyl, and it seemed pretty consistent as far as the range of motion, and it didn't show any signs of catching / sticking. All in all it looked pretty smooth, with no leaks or anything noticeably wrong.

The mounting bracket also looks fine. No noticeable cracks, and the push rod seems to have its full range of motion.

Now I'm wondering if this makes any sense -- a year or so ago, I started to get the infamous chattering sound from the clutch. It was the throwout fork that was the culprit, so I stuck a little lithium grease up there to stop it (and it worked perfectly). Do you think that the grease has worn off, and the fork is sticking every now and then, causing the increased pressure required to disengage the clutch?

rimpainter.com

You mean the "cricket" sounds, or actual clutch chatter during engagement?

Macallan12

Sorry again -- definitely the "crickets."

rimpainter.com

I am really thinking its a clutch slave cyl problem still...

Macallan12

When I bled the clutch, a ton of air came out, so you may be on to something. Is this a cheap enough part to replace, and not care (too much) if it isn't the problem?

rimpainter.com

I think you could get one for under $100 via Toyota of Richardson or similar. Ask for Cam, he will hook you up.

Don't blame me if this doesn't work though. Net diagnostics are rarely accurate.

Macallan12

Trust me, I appreciate any form of help that'll keep me away from the dealer's service department -- I do like the parts people, though.

rimpainter.com

Keep us posted!

Macallan12

Before I dive into a slave cyl. replacement, I have one more question (thank you for enduring all these questions). When the clutch pedal is pressed down, how close to the edge of the transmission housing should the fork reach? Mine was about a half an inch away. Does that sound about right, or should it be closer to touching the housing?

rimpainter.com

We'll have to see pics for that question!