I just want to thank Corey and all the other moderators/contributers to this community, I have solved SEVERAL issues on my pickup just searching through the forums, huge help...now I'm stumped

I have a 1991 Toyota pickup 2 wheel drive,manual trans, 3VZ-E engine, 168K, clutch replaced at 120K.

For the past month first gear has been acting a little sticky i.e. hard to get it into first with the clutch pedal pressed in/disengaged if I am at a complete stop. If I rev it a bit and press the clutch pedal a few times I can usually get it into first, but if I disengage the clutch while rolling to a stop I have no issues getting it into first gear. It's been doing that for about 2 months, no better or worse. No clutch slipping at all, just that weird first gear issue.

The other day I went to start the truck and couldn't get it into any gear at all! Reverse would just grind like the clutch wasn't disengaged. Checked the clutch pedal assembly and it seemed fine (had this assembly break about 20k ago and re-welded/braced to firewall) the fluid in the master was o.k. The gears shifted fine while truck was not running, so I started the engine in reverse gear. It lurched into reverse with the clutch pedal fully depressed then stalled. I did the same thing in first gear, it lurched forward while starting, but this time I didn't stall and drove around the block and the shifting functioned totally normally. All gears went in fine with clutch pressed in. Drove a short distance took it back home, killed the engine and re-started normally. It's acting like there were never any issues. In fact when I started it and drove it a short distance this morning it did not exhibit the tendency to be hard to shift into first (the original problem) it was totally smooth and shifted into all gears flawlessly.

What gives? Shifts great now but for how long? Somethings up.... What should I look at first?

 

mine did this when I replaced the clutch, I had to adjust the rod itself so that it pushed in on the cylinder more.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Do you mean the rod that goes through the firewall to the master/slave cylinder? Clutch was replaced but almost 50K ago.

 

yes try adjusting the rod so the pedal pushes the rod further into the cylinder. wont take much. try going 1/4 to 1/2 turn little by little.

 

could also the the cyl itself as well.

 

Okay...I'll try that, but since the clutch isn't acting up (for now) not sure when I should stop adjusting.

 

also check your shifter bushings.

 

Thanks....checked the shifter. It has only about an inch or less of play to the left or right while in gear. I'm assuming I should have the new bushings on hand before I pull the shifter in case they are toast, but in this case I don't think they are. Does that amout of play seem excessive?

 

Okay...adjusted the clutch pedal rod, seemed to help. Problem is, the pedal is attached to the rod as far out as I dared. It is only hanging on by a few threads and the locknut. Is this a sign that something else is not adjusted right? Going to bleed the master now, see if that helps.

 

there should be some play between the rod and the pedal assembly. This is called freeplay. I would look into changing out that cyl.

 

The master and slave are fairly cheap, I ended up replacing both after I did my clutch, make a huge difference, my guess is that they are both going, if you adjusted the rod and it helps, but you should not have to go that far out, that's telling me that you should replace them, I'd do both at the same time and save the hassle later! I was thinking I had $50 or less in both ($35 clutch master/ $15 slave)

 

Makes sense... I'll look into replacing the cylinders. Changed the Trans oil, bled the lines. shifting great now, but probably on borrowed time.

 

I having the same issues as stated in the first post the only different was when I pushed the clutch pedal in you could hear a slight noise like if something was rubbing and when I let the clutch out the noise would stop... I eneded up replacing both the master and the slave cylinders and I'm still having the same issue... I bled them the same way I usually bleed brakes... Am i doing something wrong? Could it be something else?