Trouble shifting without rev-matching
 

I've read quite a lot about our cars' transmissions and shifting, but my problem seems to be slightly different.

Basically, I'm having trouble shifting gears at speed when not rev-matching. Almost no problems shifting into 1st or any other gear when stopped, but gets progressively more difficult while driving until 5th and 6th.
I had the trans and clutch fluids replaced (no noticeable difference), I am depressing the pedal fully until the bump stop. There is no grinding, and with rev-matching, 2nd, 3rd and 4th click in very smoothly, while 5th and 6th even then need a tiny bit of force.

Any ideas? Is there anything I can check, or straight to the shop for a full clutch kit replacement? 60k miles on the clock, probably on the original clutch.

How far can you lift your foot before the clutch begins to engage?

About 1/4 of the total pedal travel.

And just upshifting is difficult? Fifth and sixth require a bit of patience. No surprise there.

How long has this problem been developing? Any noise or vibration when you depress the clutch pedal? Does it go into reverse without grinding?

Trans fluid is incredibly important. What type is it filled with?

When you say rev matching, you mean just waiting a moment for the revs to drop before it slides into gear?

Rev matching is the opposite of what you are describing. Blipping the throttle between gears.

I know, hence my confusion. He's talking about upshifting, you don't blip the throttle on upshift. So "rev matching" must mean just letting the revs fall a bit in between shifts. But this is why I'm asking for clarification.

I'm reading it as he's talking about up and down.

Both up and down. I know, when you say rev-matching everyone thinks only of downshifts, but I meant in general - if the revs don't match the gear I want to shift into.

When you say rev matching, what are you doing for upshifts?

As Ultra said, 5th and 6th you have to be a bit more patient with shifting up and is normal.

I mean that if I upshift too fast or too slow, then as you write - "I need to be a bit more patient". To be honest I'm surprised, because many of you say that's somewhat normal in a Toybaru. I've probably owned 10 MT cars in my life, driven another 10 or 20 different ones, and that's the first time I'm encountering such issue.

It's weird and took me a bit to get used to as well. In my car I can bang it up 1-4 no problem. 5th I have to be much more deliberate with, I can go slow as I want into 5th but I can't go up into 5th too hard or it's not happy. Downshifts with rev matching at speed is normal/habit for me.

Fluid makes a big difference in this car as already mentioned. Do you know what they filled it with?

Syncro clutches are undersized in this transmission. I also tend to double-clutch my downshifts to avoid having to lean into the gearshift.

Now... It's quite possible that something is wrong so, grain of salt with all this.


edit: How long have you had the car? It really is the fussiest (non-industrial) transmission I've ever operated.