Do not buy a manual tranny!

The Tacomas and FJ with manual trans are having throw out bearing issues and there is no TSB at this time. My 07 Tacoma has been in 4 times and they don't know what to do. SO AVOID THE MANUAL TRANS

Reply 1 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

My neighbor's taco has been in four times for the throw out bearing.

Reply 2 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

The throwout bearing problems fall in two categories.



Some 2007 and 2008 Tacomas and FJs have a problem due to defective clutch bell housing. It's a known problem and the fix is to replace the bell housing. If your Toyota is still under warranty, your dealer should do that at no charge. If he refuses, go to another dealer.



The other problem is bearings damaged by stopping the truck in deep water / mud. Driving through deep water is not an issue as long as you don't stop.



There is a lot of information about this issue on FJ Cruiser forums.



So bottom line - don't spread misinformation - there are thousands of FJ's and Tacomas with manual transmission that don't have a problem. There are some that have a defective bell housing and there is a fix - albeit expensive if you are no longer under warranty.

Reply 3 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Well that rules out the FJ for me the ONLY way I would buy a FJ would be with a 6-speed manual. The way a rig is supose to be! Any production date info for the bell housing issue.

Reply 4 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by shortlid Well that rules out the FJ for me the ONLY way I would buy a FJ would be with a 6-speed manual. The way a rig is supose to be! Any production date info for the bell housing issue.

Why? The problem seems to be related a small number units built in 2007/08. Newer FJ's don't have the problem. Check more info on FJcruiserforums.

Reply 5 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by katekebo Why? The problem seems to be related a small number units built in 2007/08. Newer FJ's don't have the problem. Check more info on FJcruiserforums.

Can't afford a new one

Reply 6 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by katekebo The other problem is bearings damaged by stopping the truck in deep water / mud. Driving through deep water is not an issue as long as you don't stop.

That makes sense as water can enter the bearing unit and corrode it eventually causing it to seize or in the case of mud, introduce silicates to seize it quite quickly. If it's still moving with the rest of the clutch at engine RPM, it effectively displaces the water or slings mud away from it.

Reply 7 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by katekebo The throwout bearing problems fall in two categories. Some 2007 and 2008 Tacomas and FJs have a problem due to defective clutch bell housing. It's a known problem and the fix is to replace the bell housing. If your Toyota is still under warranty, your dealer should do that at no charge. If he refuses, go to another dealer. The other problem is bearings damaged by stopping the truck in deep water / mud. Driving through deep water is not an issue as long as you don't stop. There is a lot of information about this issue on FJ Cruiser forums. So bottom line - don't spread misinformation - there are thousands of FJ's and Tacomas with manual transmission that don't have a problem. There are some that have a defective bell housing and there is a fix - albeit expensive if you are no longer under warranty.

I'm afraid I don't agree that what you have stated is accurate information. There is a defective bell housing, and it's in every single 6 speed FJ and 05+ Tacoma. The issue is that the bell housing uses an aluminum pilot shaft that the release bearing slides on, with about an inch of throw, and this shaft is unable to outlast any other clutch component, including the release bearing (aka throwout bearing), clutch disc and pressure plate. The shaft ultimately scores and wears which causes the release bearing to wobble, which causes the chirping noise at the shift fork pivot or the release bearing itself against the pilot shaft. It starts out quiet and eventually gets louder over time. The release bearing is in constant contact with the pressure plate and is spinning at all times, which is why you can make the chirp go away by applying slight pressure on the clutch pedal, or even adjusting the preload on the clutch master.



Most of us feel that it is a design flaw in the choice of materials, and the inability to keep lubricant on the pilot shaft or apply lubricant at service intervals. Even something as simple as a new SST (special service tool) with the ability to apply high temp grease during every oil change could make the difference and allow the aluminum shaft to outlast everything. Ultimately, a design change is needed and it has been rumored that a new bell housing does exist for the FJ's, although I am unable confirm this. Since the FJ and Tacoma 6 speed is practically identical, I suspect they share the same bell housing and could be interchangeable.



Ultimately, I suspect that every single FJ and Tacoma with the 6 speed will see this problem, it is only a matter of time, and the aluminum shaft will most likely wear first, the odds seem favorable. I haven't seen any 100K+ 6 speed manual transmissions with no throwout bearing chirp and no services performed. Maybe a few exist, but I think they would be the minority. I have heard of only a few accounts that an owner needed a new clutch disk due to wear and those were questionable, likely abusive or poor skill.



There are attempts to start an online petition and I for one wish someone could get class-action status and file suit. If you are under warranty, everything usually works out well for the most part, but what about everyone else? It is a serious problem if one component consistently wears out before any of the usual wear items. Every owner of a preowned FJ and Tacoma will likely face this issue, not because of routine clutch repair, but due to premature failure of an aluminum component that is steel in almost every other truck transmission that I've seen, including the 5 speed 05+ 4cyl Tacoma.



Just my 2 cents.

Reply 8 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Check this out if you haven't already seen it... this is exactly what I wanted to do the first time around. I found this over with the FJ guys, awesome find. This would be an excellent TSB candidate. It doesn't change the push pivot design, but it appears to be a proven kit.



Here's the company link, and some of their pictures...

http://www.pdmtsk.com/home.html



I emailed them and offered to send them my older scored '05 RA60F bell housing to make me a kit. The difficulty may be finding a substitute release bearing, or difficulty trying to modify one.

Reply 9 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

toyota reliablity!!! never in my life i thought we will see this stage of toyota ever!!!

Reply 10 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkavalon toyota reliablity!!! never in my life i thought we will see this stage of toyota ever!!!

Well, you're seeing it now.

Reply 11 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

sad, they are usualy great about addressing these types of issues.

Reply 12 : Do not buy a manual tranny!

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Toyota has finally released a TSB for the throw out bearing trouble in FJ's and Tacoma's !



see PDF document in POST #196 located here :



http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forum...speeds-20.html



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