Hard to shift into 2nd gear when cold

N

NathanOfSeattle

Member
On a cold morning I notice that I'm having a hard shifting into 2nd gear. This is both when shifting from 1 to 2 and when I downshift from 3 to 2. It's smooth after 10 minutes of driving (or whenever the truck warms up). All other gears shift like butter though regardless if it is cold or not. Is this to be expected? Or will changing the transmission fluid fix this? I plan on changing the transmission fluid this summer (when I do my usual maintenance).
 
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My runner is an auto, but from my previous taco experience I had the same issue. Only on days below 30, and only 1st to 2nd. I had enough of that after about a week and switched to amsoil MTG. Not sure what is spec for the 4r manual, but amsoil is the ticket. Never a hard shift or grind again. Redline also makes excellent lubes that yota guys love.

Change out the fluid and I bet it gets better. Took me 8 minutes to change the tacoma tranny lube.
 
Normal! My 1st gen Tacoma 5 speed did the same thing and now the guy i sold it too has well over 200k miles.
 
Two things you can do to improve manual shifting -

Replace the manual transmission fluid (as others have said) - I used Amsoil; others have had great things to say about redline. 75W-90 I believe.

Replace the shift lever bushing. These fall apart over time. Marlin Crawler sells one, it is a cheap and easy upgrade over your worn out stock bushing.
 
I have Royal Purple 75W-90 in my 4Runner. It's sticky on cold mornings. All I do is before I pull out of my driveway, after I start the truck I row it through the gears a bunch of times. 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 1st quite a few times and then 3rd-4th, 4th-3rd. It shifts smoothly after that.
 
So Many Roads said:
Two things you can do to improve manual shifting -

Replace the manual transmission fluid (as others have said) - I used Amsoil; others have had great things to say about redline. 75W-90 I believe.

Replace the shift lever bushing. These fall apart over time. Marlin Crawler sells one, it is a cheap and easy upgrade over your worn out stock bushing.
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Thanks for the suggestions! Is this the Amsoil product you're referring to?
AMSOIL Manual Transmission & Transaxle Gear Lube 75W-90

Can I also use this for rear diff, front diff, and transfer case as well? If so, how many quarters will I need for all? I figure I might as well change those fluids as well while I'm down there.

Also, is this the bushing you're talking about? If so should I get this along with the HD Shifter Seats?
Heavy Duty Shift Lever Socket | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
 
PitbullRescuer said:
I have Royal Purple 75W-90 in my 4Runner. It's sticky on cold mornings. All I do is before I pull out of my driveway, after I start the truck I row it through the gears a bunch of times. 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 1st quite a few times and then 3rd-4th, 4th-3rd. It shifts smoothly after that.
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Thats good to know those are currently the same symptoms I am experiencing. Is 75w90 the OEM oil/fluid or is it thicker than stock?
 
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Typical issue. Use this:
Red Line 50304 Manual Transmission (MT) 90W Gear Oil - 1 Quart Active (PR) : Amazon.com : Automotive

It fixed my 2nd and R gear issues.

Also - I really hate the erm - to clarify:
THIS is what I hate: http://www.marlincrawler.com/transmission/shifter-parts/heavy-duty-shift-lever-socket
I bought the socket for the 4WD mode, which is great.

These are great: http://www.marlincrawler.com/transmission/shifter-parts/heavy-duty-shift-lever-ball-seats

But the shifter socket sucks.

I thought it'd get softer and easier, but it's still very stiff. You might like it, but I don't as I really feel like I need to push it in and out of gear. Before very little force was required.
 
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I too have the same hard shifting in the cold morning but shifts fine once warmed up. My uncle told me it was the solenoids in the trans. Mines an auto tho.
 
No issues here with 2nd.

I do find first a bit more difficult when cold (while rolling), but once stopped no issues. As it warms it goes into 1st a bit easier when rolling.

I try to avoid it though all together, but that means I slip into 2nd when rolling and then use the clutch.

Not sure what's in the tranny from the previous owner, but I'm going to switch out the tranny, front diff, and coolant here soon for peace of mind. I'll try that Redline.
 
I replaced my clutch at 120k and also used the Marlin shifter bushings. I did not find any value in using the new Marlin shifter bushings. I would not recommend using them unless yours have disintegrated.

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. I also have shifting issues between first and second gear. I can't wait to try the new oil.
 
sportscarfan said:
I second this ^^^
I filled with Amsoil first and inside 2 months drained it due to the hard shifting into 1st and 2nd. I replaced with Redline MT-90 and have never looked back. This was 2 years ago.
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I third this. Very happy with MT-90. Noticeably improved shifting when cold.

While the manual does say GL-5 is ok, the corrosive effects of the sulfur additives on yellow metals used in our synchronizers may not have been understood at the time the manuals were written. GL-5 was supposed to be backward compatible, and it is, with that one major exception. I prefer not to take the risk. GL-4 ONLY in synchronized transmissions.
 
I know this answer must be somewhere,
How many Quarts do I need to purchase?
Unfortunately searching has yielded me with a few different answers ranging from 2.3-3.5?
Also do I need anything aside from some sockets, a funnel and drip pan to the job?

GO 9'ERS!!!
 
Thanks guys. I'll likely just switch out the oil first and see what results I get. I searched through the forums and I found someone had posted this as the correct amounts for each:

transmission = GL-4 75W-90 (3.5 qts.)
transfer case = GL-5 75W-90 (1.5 qts.)
differentials = GL-5 80W-90 (2.0 qts. front, 2.5 qts. rear)

Can someone confirm?
 
TheDurk said:
I third this. Very happy with MT-90. Noticeably improved shifting when cold.

While the manual does say GL-5 is ok, the corrosive effects of the sulfur additives on yellow metals used in our synchronizers may not have been understood at the time the manuals were written. GL-5 was supposed to be backward compatible, and it is, with that one major exception. I prefer not to take the risk. GL-4 ONLY in synchronized transmissions.
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FWIW, I used Mobil 1 75w90 GL-5 Synthetic gear oil, for the first 13 years I had my 4Runner. No issues.

The last 2 1/2 years I have used Redline MT-90, with a small amount of Redline 75w140 NS added.
 
02SE said:
FWIW, I used Mobil 1 75w90 GL-5 Synthetic gear oil, for the first 13 years I had my 4Runner. No issues.

The last 2 1/2 years I have used Redline MT-90, with a small amount of Redline 75w140 NS added.
Click to expand...

I admit I used GL-5 from 50K to 100K. (Valvoline Synthetic). But this from the Mobil1 website:

Question:
Clarify Comments on Use of GL-5 vs. GL-4 Gear Oil
Concerning the GL-5 gear oil, on your website you state the following: "Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-90 can also be used in rear axles where API Service GL-4 lubricant is recommended." However, you also say in this "Ask Mobil" section that: "Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Oil is recommended for all applications where a GL-5 lubricant is specified. GL-5 type lubricants, which have a higher level of additive chemistry, can be corrosive to yellow metals such as copper, brass, etc., and in these applications a GL-4 product is usually specified." Can you clarify this disconnect here? Thank you.
-- John Goetz, Newport News, VA

Answer:
There are transmission applications that recommend API GL-4 type products where we would not recommend using an API GL-5 fluid because transmissions typically have components made from “yellow” metals. However real axles where GL-4 fluids are recommended do not have “yellow” metal components. As a result, the application of an API GL-5 fluid is acceptable.
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GL-5 and GL-4 Gear Oils

It seems pretty clear there is a problem with GL-5 in synchronized transmissions with yellow metals. Although Valvoline, which does not have a GL-4 synthetic gear oil, had some claim their sulfur additives were 'stabilized' or some such thing, and therefore ok.
 
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