unfortunately is a very common problem with these cars. Best i can advise is make sure the clutch is in good order i.e adjustment, fluid levels, if the plates worn replace it. Replace gearbox oil, Ive heard Redline reduces the grinding but havent used it myself. Other than that your options are a g/box reco or replacement. If your lucky it may just be the syncros that are gone but can still be costly. A second hand gearbox is cheap but you wont know for sure what your getting til its in. hope that helps even though its not to encouraging lol
I have/had to same problem. It'll grind going into 2nd if I got STRAIGHT down from 1st to 2nd too fast but if you go slowly it won't grind to bad; though it takes longer to shift BUT I have found a solution. As you are shifting go from 1st to second don't go straight down but rather from 1st to the middle of 1st and 2nd and go to the right a tad then back left to the middle then down to 2nd. Little confusing but basically in this shape: 1st |_ __| <--Don't go "down" here but rather to the right then back | 2nd At first I couldn't shift very fast at all but since doing this I can shift as fast as I want pretty much. It's a little weird to do this but once you get the hang of it I bet you'll do it all the vehicles you drive; I do it in my 4Runner and my brother's Celica even though I don't need too.
In your case I would suspect wear in the shifter cable bushes or in the so-called 'sugar cube' bush underneath the selector, both of which are easy & cheap to replace.
in my case i just had the tranny rebuilt. coust me 1000 bucks but trannys are hard to find around me and be sure no matter what course you take to readjust your shift linkage cause my mechanic did do that cause he was a huge doosh and a 3rd to 4th redline shift jammed and fucked a lotta shit up. do it once do it right so cover your bases whatever course you take. this isnt something to half ass
I have a similar issue going from 2nd to 3rd... If I move into third too quick it has a feint grind, but if I put it into neutral for a split second then move it into 3rd its fine. I'll eventually have it repaired, but I honestly haven't noticed it at all... I give every gear a tad bit longer now before I shift now neways lol
change the fluid jake. it prob needs it anyways. just as a side not: the s series trans has updated syncros in 93+ camrys. that's what i originally had in nemesis. i believe this is why it held up so well.
I actually have no idea how to chance the fluid. It should be in my celica repair bible though eh? (Haynes ^^)
