On Thu, 21 Sep 2017 18:42:29 +0000 (UTC), Chaya Eve
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Sep 2017 00:50:05 -0400, wrote:

I don't understand it but I'm not complaining.

Likely some idiot put the wrong fluid in lastr time it was changed.
There IS a difference between GL4, GL5, ATF, and engine oil. Differnt
transmissions are built to use different fluids.

I will repeat that I was shocked that the fluid change made what would
clearly not shiftable when cold, now shiftable. (New fluid didn't change
the clutch pedal feel issue of course - but it magically "fixed" the fact
that a cold K turn out of the garage required multiple killing of the
engine where now that's not needed.)

This is what the top 20 ounces of the old clutch fluid looked like:
https://s26.postimg.org/eo8fcxvsp/00...uid_Change.jpg

And this is what the bottom 72 ounces of clutch fluid looked like:
https://s26.postimg.org/s2cbhhnp5/01...uid_Change.jpg

Where 2.9 quarts came out but the spec is for only 2.7 quarts.
https://s26.postimg.org/fjvq0wqpl/01...uid_Change.jpg

This is the gunk that was in the drain plug:
https://s26.postimg.org/urbpl9ik9/01...uid_Change.jpg

I think the only thing "wrong" with the fluid that I could tell is that
there was 20 ounces too much and it looked pretty dirty.

Certainly it should have been changed long ago, where it could be the
original 20 year old fluid if the clutch job five or so years ago didn't
replace it.

I know the history of the car from day 1, so it definitely only had one
time where there would have been a chance of the fluid being changed, and
that was the clutch job years ago at half the current mileage.

I'd be checking the release cyl

There is a release cylinder?
Googling for "toyota clutch release cylinder" shows up stuff.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=toyota+clu...lease+cylinder

Here's a boot for the "clutch release cylinder" but is that the same thing
as a "slave cylinder"?

Potato potauto - same thing.
https://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/oem/...476-22010.html

When I step on the pedal, and then release it while in gear, it just
doesn't feel right.

The clutch master might be bad too.

The master/slave cylinders may be bad.
I will check them for leaks.
Dunno if there is anything else that can be checked yet.

They can bind. So can the linkage. The pivot ball on the release
(throw-out) fork can also wear and stick - and so can the release
bearing (where it slides on the "nose" of the transmission)

I'd be checking the hydraulics and the linkage before tearing the
transmission out.

I agree.
The one thing though is that the clutch is going to *need* to be replaced
soon anyway as it has had the same clutch for five years or more.
If the driver knows how to use the clutch, that is immaterial. My
ranger had 307000km on it when I got it - with the original clutch -
and the clutch was less than half worn - I had to replace the
internally mounted release cyl/bearing assembly so we put in a new
clutch at the same time. The truck was 17 years okd - it is now 22
with 354000km on it.