hey guys, i took the plunge and got a 95 4runner/3.0 v-6/5 speed. runs like a champ except for the following:

1) 1st gear. i'll depress the clutch pedal, put it into 1st and try going, but the engine just yells at me cause it fell into neutral. no other funny noises. this is intermittent but happens more often than not. keeping it in place with my hand on the lever produces no funny feelings or sounds, and this does not happen in any other gear (THANK GOD). when it doesn't happen, it stays engaged throughout the acceleration.

2) when at speed, if i try putting it into 1st (with the clutch pedal depressed of course) while approaching a stop, terrible grinding ensues. i only had this happen once, cause i won't let it happen again, so i don't know if this is also intermittent

the clutch fluid is up to par, i haven't checked the xfer case or any other xmission fluid yet, but i was wondering if anyone had any bright ideas about what may be causing this annoying quirk. appreciaite the assist guys!

I would check the adjustment in the cable or linkage and make sure the shifter is inserting the trans shift selector all the way into first gear.
A worn out shift mechamisim will produce this problem too.

I would check the adjustment in the cable or linkage and make sure the shifter is inserting the trans shift selector all the way into first gear.
A worn out shift mechamisim will produce this problem too.

He said it's a manual, there are no linkages or cables. :shakehead

But there is a cup and seat for the manual shifter that wears out.
Try replacing that first. Less than $10.

Look here

http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/transmission/trans_parts.htm

thanks for the tips; the haynes manual lists plenty of possibilities, but doesn't help isolate the "likelys". this could save me much time and hair. one question though...is there any easy way to determine the type of xmission i have? i ain't much of a gearhead, and i'm seeing L43, W42, 46, 56 all over the manual, but it doesn't say if it's stamped anywhere on the vehicle. i'd hate to get the wrong parts ordering online. once again, thank you for the assist.

edit: of course, i pretty much find this issue decribed in the FAQ, page 3. the replacement parts described are universal, so now i guess the question is should i go universal if i'm not able to determine the type of xmission i have, or keep plowing through google to figure out how to determine my tranny type? option 2 would make me more knowledgeable, so that's the route i'll take for now. *pops knuckles* i'm off, thanks for getting me in the right direction!

had to put this in a new post to get it flagged. is the table at http://www.marlincrawler.com/java/getratio.html (labeled "Pickup and 4Runner Transmissions ") a safe way for me to determine the tranny i have? thanks.

had to put this in a new post to get it flagged. is the table at http://www.marlincrawler.com/java/getratio.html (labeled "Pickup and 4Runner Transmissions ") a safe way for me to determine the tranny i have? thanks.

Don't need all that, only one 5 spd came with the 3.0, the R150F.

looks like i ordered the wrong one then. :banghead: see what happens when i assume? it makes ass out of me and...my tranny. at least i don't have to wait for the part to show up and find out the hard way. i'll post back with results when i get it installed, thanks again.

alright, i received/installed the new shift lever seat assy, no love. the old one was in amazing condition, leading me to believe it's not the original. the center was worn a bit tho, and the shifting is more positive now, but 1st still pops out. trolling around this forum and the one at MC got me pointed at the pedal freeplay.

when the truck's just idling, clutch engaged, i can hear a whiring sound which goes away when the clutch pedal's depressed about 3/4 way. i'm guessing this is normal, since my previous 5spd did the same thing. i was only able to extend the pushrod maybe a 1/4", which did change the point where the "whiring" sound let off by a bit, but not much. a quick test revealed negative results as far as fist gear staying engaged.

so my symptoms at this point are:
1) 1st gear pops out when clutch begins to engage, ~90% of the time. acceleration is smooth throughout the range as long as my hand keeps the shift lever in place.
2) 2nd gear is sticky getting into and out of, not too bad but noticeable. all other gears are relatively smooth.
3) at any speed over ~3mph, 1st does not want to engage, no matter how depressed the clutch pedal is. awful grinding ensues unless i'm at a near stop.

i have not tried bleeding the hydraulic circuit yet, due to the fact that gears 3-5 work fine. is this bad logic? any continuing assistance on this would be MOST appreciated. i'd like the keep this issue as DYI as possible, although my scope of mechanical expertise is limited. i've learned a lot by reading thought all these posts, but i still have no hands on. thanks guys.