truck shifting shitty

Glenn · Jun 7, 2007

My truck has been getting harder and harder to get into gear over the past month or so. It's gotten bad enough that I dread driving in town. I have topped off the reservoir, so it isn't that. It's like it does not want to go into the slot for any gear...kind of hangs in Neutral when I need to be in gear. So I end up armstronging the damn thing.

Anyone have an idea what is going on with the transmission?

Toyota 5 speed W56.

Oh, and Jobless...if you want to trash Toyota, go right ahead. I don't care.

KarlVP · Jun 7, 2007

Throwout bearing toasted....

Not Jobless · Jun 7, 2007

Glenn said:
My truck has been getting harder and harder to get into gear over the past month or so. It's gotten bad enough that I dread driving in town. I have topped off the reservoir, so it isn't that. It's like it does not want to go into the slot for any gear...kind of hangs in Neutral when I need to be in gear. So I end up armstronging the damn thing.

Anyone have an idea what is going on with the transmission?

Toyota 5 speed W56.

Oh, and Jobless...if you want to trash Toyota, go right ahead. I don't care.

Clutch, pressure plate, bearing, tranny...how many miles on all that stuff? **** doen't last forever.

johnboy1 · Jun 7, 2007

1st question. when you depress the clutch pedal, does it feel like there is any force? if no, then you have a bad/leaking clutch master and/or slave cylinder. replace both for around $40.

2nd question. if there is force but still wont go into gear pehaps the transmission has bad syncros therefore it wont allow the tranny to go into gear properly. in that cause the solution is pretty clear. hit up odie.

3rd qeustion. how old/worn is your clutch. when it is in gear does it slip at all? if not maybe you clutch plate is so worn that it has welded itself to your flywheel thus resulting in a nasty mess.

skrause · Jun 8, 2007

KarlVP said:
Throwout bearing toasted....

Or pilot. Both should make noise if bad though.

Glenn · Jun 8, 2007

It doesn't make unusual noises that I am aware of.

I just topped of the reservoir and think it has a seep. Replacement will probably be happening of both the master and slave cylinders.

It feels no different than it has for the past 100,000 miles when depressing the clutch pedal.

Gonna have someone look at it on Monday morning.

skrause · Jun 8, 2007

How low was the master? You might have air in the line.

crash2 · Jun 8, 2007

If its all gears and makes no abnormal noises--I would have to say the tranny is probably ok (typically if there is a bad enough issue with the trans that will cause a problem in all gears you have a major bearing issue and you will hear something). I would guess you have a pressure plate problem or the clutch disk is sperating and binding up the pressure plate(not letting it fully dissengage)

Glenn · Jun 8, 2007

skrause said:
How low was the master? You might have air in the line.

About 1/8" below the line.

skrause · Jun 8, 2007

Glenn said:
About 1/8" below the line.

Firewall dry on the inside below the master?

Zoediak · Jun 8, 2007

clutch... clutch... clutch.... clutch...

sounds like time to replace...

acts like about all of mine that have gone in the last 20 years...

Glenn · Jun 8, 2007

skrause said:
Firewall dry on the inside below the master?

Yeah, dry inside. My other Toyota had that problem. It is seeping somewhere else.

Glenn · Jun 8, 2007

Zoediak said:
clutch... clutch... clutch.... clutch...

sounds like time to replace...

acts like about all of mine that have gone in the last 20 years...

I think you may be right. Although it doesn't slip in any gear that I have noticed. I will try it in 4th or 5th later. Those are the two that usually slip first.

zig80toy · Jun 8, 2007

Hey, my 85 4runner is doing (has been doing for a long time) the same thing. The clutch master was leaking a little so i replaced it and the slave but that didn't help the problem at all. The "hard to shift" problem seems to go away once the truck warms up a bit so i've just been dealing with it. But i'm pretty sure the clutch is going out and i'll be replacing it sometime this summer.
My guess is its time to have your clutch replaced...

Glenn · Jun 8, 2007

It was an interesting drive to the store just now.... I could not get it into gear in the middle of an intersection. I ended up shifting to low range and driving home in 3rd and 5th gears (25 mph in town). I can feel the clutch grabbing when the pedal is all the way to the floor. Reservoir is topped off still. It won't start unless I use the clutch start cancel switch.

Moneypit1 · Jun 8, 2007

Almost every manual transmission can be effectively driven WITHOUT a clutch pedal. To start, place the transmission in first, and start the car. It'll jump, so be aware. After that, by syncronizing the engine RPMs with the vehicle speed, you can shift up or down the gears. To come to a stop, force the tranny into neutral, and kill the engine. Coast to a stop. Then place the tranny back into first, and refire the engine when you're ready to go.

I'm not sayin' it's your problem. But this might help you determine if it's a clutch problem or an internal transmission issue.

Glenn · Jun 8, 2007

Moneypit said:
To come to a stop, force the tranny into neutral, and kill the engine. Coast to a stop.

Kill the engine? There goes the power assisted brakes. No thanks. I think it's better to shut off after stopping.

TreeClimber · Jun 8, 2007

Glenn said:
Kill the engine? There goes the power assisted brakes. No thanks. I think it's better to shut off after stopping.

Unless you have a major vacume leak, power booster will ALWAYS have enough boost for a couple of stops. Plus, you're brakes ALWAYS work without vacume assist, just with a very firm pedal. It is safe. And remember, that description is for stopping WITHOUT the use of a clutch pedal. IF you can't depress the pedal, OR IF you loose the master or slave cylinder, OR IF something else happens and you step on the clutch pedal and NOTHING HAPPENS, then what'll you do? Continue IN GEAR until you hit the car in front of you?

If anyone has not driven without a clutch pedal and practiced a little, they're doing themselfs a dis-service. I've lost the bell crank assembly on my CJ in the middle of Rusty Nail in Moab. And I was damn glad I knew WTF I was doing, as I drove the trail out, and back to Moab without a clutch pedal functioning. Exactly as described.

And as an edit, I coasted my YJ all the way from Funny Rocks to the bottom of the mountain without my engine running when I tore out my oil pan. I used the power brakes without the booster, just like they were manual brakes. Yeah my leg was sore. But it works.

DEANS4.3TOYO · Jun 9, 2007

yea it is possible that one of the springs in the pressure plate came out and it is wedged its self between the disc and the pressure plate and that would make it almost imposible to get it in gear. Or if you can grab the shifter and pull it up and down and you get it to move about 1/4 inch then it could be the bushings in the shift tower. and like the other guy said very possible that its the pilot bearing i build transmissions for a living and do alot of clutches check all those things and you sould find your problem.