Need help with Toyota truck clutch

I need some help. I am just short of having it towed to a pro but I think it should be simple.

My clutch is just 2 years old and dosn't have many miles on it. I left my driveway to head to the store and my clutch faded. I was able to drive around the block and get the truck in the driveway. I have since replaced the master cylinder and slave cylinder for the clutch. I bench bled the master until there were no bubbles and then some.

I got all the parts installed and let it gravity bleed for a couple of hours never letting the fluid get below the low mark. I then used one of those vacume bleeders from the slave.

I have a decent feeling clutch (maybe a little soft) but I can't get it into gear while running. I was able to start it in 1st gear with the clutch to the floor and it seems to hold. It will stall out if I let up on the clutch. My thinking is that the system still has air in it. I was going to bribe a friend to help pump it for me and see if we can get the air out.

Does this sound reasonable? Might I have something broken inside the bell housing or transmission? It's getting pretty frustrating.

If it matters, it's a 1992 Pick-up 4x4 with a V-6.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Desparation bump

define "Faded clutch"
Do you mean something like when you drive off it just isnt putting the power to the pavement?

If so youve worked on all the wrong parts .. you'll need to split the engine and tranny to replace the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing

venomballistics said:

define "Faded clutch"
Do you mean something like when you drive off it just isnt putting the power to the pavement?

If so youve worked on all the wrong parts .. you'll need to split the engine and tranny to replace the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing

Click to expand...

No, the pedal faded (lost pressure) and the clutch will not disengage. It has plenty of grab.

well then .. get an observer to check if pressing the clutch yields proper travel .. sometimes we find ourselves replacing defective parts with defective replacements.
here after its time to see what went wonky in the bell housing

venomballistics said:

here after its time to see what went wonky in the bell housing

Click to expand...

The arm that comes out of the bell housing is still firm. If It's internal it will have to go to the shop. It been very frustrating. When it failed it was not all of a sudden. It got worse over several presses of the clucth until it just didn't work. That is what led me to belive it's a hydraulic problem.

Alde, I just went through this with my Toyota. Same symptoms.

I replaced the master and slave, and bled very well, still not better. I finally figured it out.

There is a metal plate that bolts onto the firewall inside the truck. It's about 4"x12". There are two brackets that are welded onto the plate. One is for the clutch pedal and one is for the brake pedal. The plate straddles the steering column.

Behind each of the brackets is a hole in the plate for the rods going to the clutch master and the brake master.

The hole on the clutch side is about an inch around and is close to the left edge of the plate. There was a crack in the outside edge of that hole, and when you pushed in the clutch pedal the bracket flexed over enough (pulling the back side of the plate away from the firewall) that you did not get full pedal travel before the back of the pedal hit the firewall. I couldn't feel anything really odd when I depressed the pedal with my foot.

In mine I had been hearing a "tinking" sound for a while as the metal at the edge of the hole was fatiguing and popping back and forth, and it finally went totally.

I took the thing out (a major pain) and took it to the Toyota place and they said that it was common for this to happen--the guy behind the counter had it happen to his truck. Putting it back in is another major pain but it fixed it. Be prepared, the part was $200.

You should be able to diagnose if this is the problem by taking the clutch pedal or the bracket itself and seeing if you can flex it toward the passenger side. If it's broken the plate will bend some and pull away from the firewall. There should be no lateral movement in it unless it's broken. I could see the crack if I looked at it with a flashlight. Look for the crack, but if it is broken the pedal bracket will flex.

I just took the old one to the metal recycling place last week or I'd take a picture of it.

You need to inspect that plate carefully. Given the age of your truck (mine is the same model except a '94) I'd bet this is the problem.

If it is the problem PM me. I can give you valuable info that will save you some headaches getting the thing out and back in.

Thanks for the great info. I will be looking into this and let you know if this is in fact the problem.

I hope it helps. I wish I had figured it out faster--it took me a while.

If this is what it is it's a pain but a straightforward fix and better than transmission trouble.

Good luck.

Cooter Brown said:

I hope it helps. I wish I had figured it out faster--it took me a while.

If this is what it is it's a pain but a straightforward fix and better than transmission trouble.

Good luck.

Click to expand...

Did you have to remove very much to get to it? Does the steering colum need to come out? I have a feeling that when I look at it it will confirm this is the problem. Sounds like a fun job.

No need to remove the steering column, although it would definitely make it easier. The bolt that the brake pedal pivots on was torqued down harder than anything I've ever encountered on a vehicle. If you took the column off you would be able to attach both pedals to the bracket before you installed it. I put the clutch pedal on and fished the thing over the steering column and then put the brake pedal on--if I did it again I would try to put the brake pedal on first and then after the plate was in I'd put the clutch pedal on.

If you took the column off you could attach both to the bracket and get it in easier.

See my PMs.

Call if you run into anything you need help with.

I hope this fixes it.

Cooter Brown said:

No need to remove the steering column, although it would definitely make it easier. The bolt that the brake pedal pivots on was torqued down harder than anything I've ever encountered on a vehicle. If you took the column off you would be able to attach both pedals to the bracket before you installed it. I put the clutch pedal on and fished the thing over the steering column and then put the brake pedal on--if I did it again I would try to put the brake pedal on first and then after the plate was in I'd put the clutch pedal on.

If you took the column off you could attach both to the bracket and get it in easier.

See my PMs.

Call if you run into anything you need help with.

I hope this fixes it.

Click to expand...

Well, I'm almost dissapointed. The bracket is solid with no cracks. There is no side to side movement of bthe pedal and the upper left side of the bracket looks to be in perfect condition.

I have been trying to bleed this by myself as my wife is handicapped and unable to pump for me. I need to bribe a friend to help. Maybe I am just not able to bleed it well enough.

Like I said, I can start it in first with the clutch to the floor and it will hold at a lower idle and then stall as I let the clutch out. It's just not getting enough throw.

It's frustating. I was really hoping the bracket was crack so I could replace it and be done. I will let you know what happens.

Thanks, Al

alde,

I'm not familiar with that design and so may not have anything constructive to add, but I have done a lot of my own automotive work.

What comes to my mind is a slow leak somewhere that runs where you can't see it. Apart from that the only thing I can come up with is the same thing venomballistics suggested: defective replacement parts. Several weeks ago I replaced both CV shafts on my Honda Civic with NAPA remanufactured ones, and both had worn out outer joints -whoever remanufactured them thought the old ones were good enough and merely replaced the boots. They were wrong.

Anyway, I wish you well; and I can sure empathize with you re: frustrating attempts to troubleshoot a malfunction.

Andy

alde said:

I need to bribe a friend to help. Thanks, Al

Click to expand...

Are you kidding? I think most of us here would bribe you to let us help, if we lived close enough. Just ask.

7tenz said:

Are you kidding? I think most of us here would bribe you to let us help, if we lived close enough. Just ask.

Click to expand...

Might be a bit far but it is salmon season up here in the Puget Sound area. Come on up and I'll buy the beer.

Tempting...Lemme ask my boss for time off to help a buddy in WA fix his clucth, then I'll check myself in at the local sanitarium. All yolking aside, in my local social circle, when we hear loud cussing we gravitate in the direction of the source to see what's wrong.

7tenz said:

Tempting...Lemme ask my boss for time off to help a buddy in WA fix his clucth, then I'll check myself in at the local sanitarium. All yolking aside, in my local social circle, when we hear loud cussing we gravitate in the direction of the source to see what's wrong.

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Yea, it's like that here too. I just haven't cussed load enough yet. I will let you guys know how this turns out. I have been tempted to unload the Garand on it a time or two. Just kidding, I have an attachement to that truck.

Shoot!

Did you grab the bracket itself and try to pull it over to the passenger side? Given the symptoms it sounds just like what mine was doing. Make sure you try to move the bracket itself and not just the pedal. If it's not the bracket don't give up and take it to a mechanic until you get someone to help you bleed it.

I hope you figure it out soon.

alde said:

Well, I'm almost dissapointed. The bracket is solid with no cracks. There is no side to side movement of bthe pedal and the upper left side of the bracket looks to be in perfect condition.

I have been trying to bleed this by myself as my wife is handicapped and unable to pump for me. I need to bribe a friend to help. Maybe I am just not able to bleed it well enough.

Like I said, I can start it in first with the clutch to the floor and it will hold at a lower idle and then stall as I let the clutch out. It's just not getting enough throw.

It's frustating. I was really hoping the bracket was crack so I could replace it and be done. I will let you know what happens.

Thanks, Al

Click to expand...

Cooter Brown said:

Shoot!

Did you grab the bracket itself and try to pull it over to the passenger side? Given the symptoms it sounds just like what mine was doing. Make sure you try to move the bracket itself and not just the pedal. If it's not the bracket don't give up and take it to a mechanic until you get someone to help you bleed it.

I hope you figure it out soon.

Click to expand...

I looked up there real good with a super bright flashlight and it looks solid but will look again before I do anything else. I will get up there and try to move the bracket. I was also told to take a close look at the rubber hose that goes between the two hard lines. They have a reputation of causing trouble.

I need to get this fixed so I can go to the range guilt free.

7tenz said:

Are you kidding? I think most of us here would bribe you to let us help, if we lived close enough. Just ask.

Click to expand...

You must send out the Universal Man Call!. Get some loud power tools and just start making noise.

Zombie like Men will wander towards the sound to see what's going on and one of them will know how to fix it.