Your issues sound pretty normal. 1st to 2nd is pretty far apart; 2nd is half the gearing of 1st which is not typical for manuals, usually they are closer. The shift itself is not very smooth unless 1st gear is revved out to 3.5-4K or so, but then you're waiting on revs to fall to half of that for a smooth clutch release in 2nd. It is what it is. I say this because the 2024 transmission is just a new version of the 3rd generation transmission that has different ratios for the new truck. It is ultimately the same design as the 3rd gen transmission and 1st and 2nd are apart by the exact same amount, both transmission literally use the same R-1-2 gear cluster.
This was super helpful, thanks! To pick your brain a bit, do you know roughly how many km it took for the weird noise in 1st took to leave? Your example of in an alley it has a different noise is exactly to what and when I hear it, and it always makes me think somethings up, but as soon as I leave I can’t hear much, 850km on mine so far
Unfortunately I don't really recall. I stopped listening not long after and I also did the accumulator delete, which the accumulator does not apply to you, but there is a small thin heat shield covering the accumulator on the 3rd gen, and I lined that with noise insulation, so that helped me to hear less of the transmission in general. So, too many variables to really say. All I know is I don't hear anything concerning when I drive in 1st gear at low speed. For all I know it could be making the noise still and I don't hear it due to the shield, or I'm just used to it and forgot what the abnormal to me sound sounded like after all this time.
Toyota is weird on the manuals. They really like the engagement point to be super high off the floor. I don't know why, and, from everything I can determine on the 3rd gen, it is unnecessary to have it so high.
