1st and 3rd grind

...Last week I fired up my new engine for the first time. After breaking in the cam for 20 minutes, I tried shifting into 1st gear and reverse. ALL brand-new pressure plate, disk, throw-out, pilot etc. I did not force it as it was starting to 'grind'. The cure was: With the engine OFF and the Emergency brake ON tight. Put the Transaxle into Reverse gear. First push 'in' the clutch pedal all the way to the floor(clutch released) and now START the engine. The clutch will drag(pull against the brake)for a few seconds and then will 'free-up'. This was done after the clutch was precisely adjusted. I used the McLoed plate and Disk. And the adjustment was very close to where the original was; except a 'little' tighter!(adjusting rod extended further with Less play for the T.O. Bearing at the 'top' of being released). Try it, this may work for you...

I just installed a new Centerforce from Hall. It came with a new flywheel too. Total about $700. If you know your clutch is worn you can extend the shaft from the slave cylender to get more disengagement. I would not worry too much about it slipping at this point. All you need to know is if more disengagement will fix your grind. My trans has a bit of a grind into 3rd, since it is that gear only I belive it to be a sycronizer. Your pedal should not release right at the floor, if properly working you should be able to get about 2-3 inches before it starts to grab. I talked to Roy Butfoy once and he said for about $1500 he will go through it and replace seals and gaskets, parts were extra.

i will be replacing the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing in a few weeks. somehow i think it's some adjustment that is making it grind because it only grind 1st and 3rd and both grind the same at the exact location of the clutch.

Have you checked you linkage and Trunion adjustments ?

probably next sunday i'll have some time to check everything before doing the clutch. hopefully it will solve the problem. if not look like getting a second mortgage. lol

Have you checked your motor mounts? If they are old then they can sag on one side, which will put the shift linkage out of alignment and cause the length of the thow to be shorter into 1st and 3rd and longer inot 1st and 4th. Giving good solid shifts into 2nd and 4th and weak 'not quite there' shifts into 1st and 3rd. Seems like a plausible cause sine if the syncros ar worn frm speed shifting, then the speed shifting is usually done going into 2nd too, yet it is OK. I recall a section in the manuals about the measurements at the shift gate, for a properly adjusted shift linkage. That would change if the motor is shifting due to motor mounts being loose or worn. Is the shifting buttery smooth, or feel like it has friction in it? That's another clue things are out of alignment with the linkage, possibly due to motor mounts or the trunion bearing twisting from usage. Seems like a few more things to check 1st and good reasons why it may not be the synchros. If it was the syncros, then 2nd gear synchro is typically the 1st synchro to go bad, and you didn't mention any problem with 2nd gear syncro existed. Common sense approach says it's not the syncros since 2nd is OK. Like the other guys say, check to make sure clutch is fully disengaging, but that doesn't explain 2nd and 4th OK. I strongly suspect motor mounts, and they are easy enough to inspect and replace, and not nearly as costly. Avoid poly motor mounts, they melt.