Picked up an 81 a few weeks back and I'm trying to get all the kinks out of it. 155,000 miles, L50 Trans I believe. There are lots of threads on this same issue but none really addressed the issue other than shifter bushing and seat. When shifting into first I have to hold pressure on the shifter to get it to go in. If pressure is not held on it, it will just grind and not engage, however if pressure is held on it, it will clunk and go into first. Once in goes in first, it stays in and won't pop back out. All other gears go in and out perfectly. I replaced the shifter bushing and seat with an OEM Toyota one. It did tighten up the shifter significantly but it still grinds.

Not sure if this is a tell tale sign of what is going on but when I initially inspected the shifter bushing and seat, the bushing was fine but the only seat was about 1/8" thick black rubber washer. Who knows how long it was like that. The top corners of the groove in the shifter were worn slightly but not a lot, I wouldn't think that would cause this issue.


Second gear works perfect from a dead stop, as does every other gear. Played with it some more this morning, shift lever under slight pressure as soon as the clutch is released it grinds as its not fully engaged. Under more pressure, it will go in every time but will clunk every time it goes in. Same with going from 2nd to first when rolling, it will grind if pressure it not held on it and clunk when it goes in first so it's not just from a dead stop.


Any ideas on what I'm looking at? Thanks for any help you could offer.

 

So I messed with the shifter again today trying to determine if it's clutch issues or internal issues. Could be the original clutch for all I know. Truck has 155K on it. The side dust cover has been missing for a while. Looking through there, it looks like the clutch is releasing. Replaced the master and slave cylinder today thinking maybe that it could be the issue but to no avail. Called a local trans shop, after a few mmm hmm's he said I think it's just wore out! I can get you another one for about $899.

So here I am still trying to get an idea of what is wrong with it and if it needs tore into or not.

 

No one?

 

Sounds like a very bad synchro in 1st gear. the first sign it's going bad is that it is very hard if not impossible to shift into 1st unless you are at or very close to a complete stop. Then I think it gets like you are describing. If you are feeling adventurous you could try to rebuild it yourself, buy a salvaged transmission to use in the meantime and study up. i learned on motorcycle engines over the years and rebuilt a very old volvo 4 speed transmission and that went alright, I think the toyota transmissions are a good bit harder to get out and back in and to rebuild. In short, the guy on the phone was right, your transmission is about ready for a rebuild.

 

Yeah I've been looking around here for a good replacement.

 

So I found a transmission with transfer case out of a 83' L52 I believe for $200 for both. About 2 hours from me. Guy said it shifted good when removed but it has been sitting out in the weather for a few months. It has no rubber boot on the bottom of the shifter so I imagine there is some moisture in it. Any thoughts?

 

There is not much movement from engaging to being disengaged down at the flywheel. I would really check and see if the clutch slave cylinder is moving as far as it needs to. I have had bad slave cylinders to give me similar problems or not being properly adjusted.

 

I replaced both master and slave cylinders with no luck. I believe it is something internal. I adjusted the clutch rod all the way out and still it won't go in without grinding. Even with the engine off and the truck rolling slowly I can press in the clutch and try to go into first and I can feel it ratcheting and won't completely engage until I put lots of pressure on the shifter.

 

Did you adjust the rod that actuates the master cylinder as well as the rod at the slave cylinder? If the master is moving the slave with the rod at the slave adjusted all the way out, then your clutch is probably shot. The clutch slows the input shaft from spinning in order for the gears to mesh more easily. If the clutch is not slowing the input shaft, it will be very hard to get into first gear. Can you put it in first with the engine shut off? If so, put it in first, push in the clutch and start the engine . If the truck moves with the clutch fully depressed, then you need a new clutch.

 

I'm away from my truck now out of town till next weekend. I haven't adjusted the slave cylinder rod from the settings out of the box. I just bolted it up. I have adjusted the master cyl rod. You can get in 1st gear with the engine off if you put pressure on it and roll the truck a little. Goes in all other gears perfect with the engine off. I've started the engine in 1st gear before and the truck doesn't move or anything. Once in 1st gear it doesn't pop out and starts fine depressing the clutch. You can shut it off, start it back up and drive on as long as you don't come out of first. It's just getting it into first is the problem.

 

What I have done in the past is to lay under the truck parallel with the driveshaft so that if the truck was to move forward or backward that I would not get ran over. Then with someone in the truck, I had them to engage the clutch and try to put it into gear. Then I would grab a hold of the Clutch Fork and add more pressure with my hands or with a Crescent Wrench on the end to give me more leverage to disengage the clutch. That is how I found out my Slave Cylinder was bad. May not be the safest way to do it but it what worked for me.

I suppose it could be a transmission going bad but I would try everything I could to absolutely make sure I was not replacing a good transmission. They are getting hard to find and expensive to rebuild.

 

I'll give that a try, I'll try anything now to keep from dropping $1K on a transmission. I'd love for it to be something clutch related.

 

If the truck doesn't try to move in first gear with the clutch pedal depressed but is hard to go in first gear with the engine runnig, it does sound like a problem with the synchronizer.
From your last discription, I tend to think it is the trans not the clutch.
The synchronizer basically does the same thing as the clutch except inside the trans. The synchro slows the trans gears to match the speed of the gears being meshed together similarly to how the clutch slows the input shaft to aid the gears meshing together.
If you do wind up pulling the trans, I definitely would replace the clutch and throw out bearing.

 

As soon as I get home, I'm gonna get under it with the wife in the driver seat and see if I can move the clutch fork while trying to go in first just to make sure. I've done a similar thing by myself, I put a ratchet strap on the clutch fork and pulled it all the way back, got in the truck put it in first, released the strap, got back in the truck, started it up and it still wasn't in first. It would be easier for sure with 2 people.

If that fails, I'll pull the trans. A guy locally has an L52 with transfer case on it asking $200 but it has been sitting out in the rain, that part worries me. I really don't want to drop $1K on trans.

 

too bad you are probably across the country.
i have two L series 5 speeds for sale. one i know is good (was in my trekker when i parked it) the other supposedly good, it has been kept inside for 5+ years..