Grinding gears - low gearing?

[CDTJ]

I just recently bought an 86 720 4x4 with the Z24 and a 5 speed.

The guy told me the truck is geared low, and that you have to get rpms up to 3-3500 to get a good shift out of 1st as well as 2nd, and you have to be going quite slowly to shift from 3rd into 2nd. That much is true, but the gap between 3rd and 2nd seems to be huge. If I'm going any over 10 - 15 mph, I can't shift into 2nd. It just fights, and if I force it, it grinds really badly. It is aggravating, especially when I'm trying to make it up a hill. I get going in 3rd, then have to shift to 2nd for higher rpm, but 2nd doesn't want to agree, and I fight with it until I have to stop, and then just put it in 1st. Is that normal, even for a low gearing? The gap seems rather large.

Also, I occasionally have trouble finding 3rd. The bushings seem to be really worn out on the shifter (Soupy in gear, can move left to right. Really really loose in neutral.) I usually hit 3rd right, but if I am off, or my rpm isn't quite right, it fights and grinds as well.

4th down to 3rd also sometimes doesn't want to agree, and just won't let me shift until it's too late, or it grinds.

I have tried a little bit of double-clutching, and it seemed to help once, but not the other time. Maybe I'm still a novice at it.

My main question is, is this a gearing thing and just need to be more familiarized, or do I need to replace the synchros? And would putting new bushings on the shifter help me find the gears?

Sorry if it's an ignorant question. Haven't had much experience with trannys, gearing, or shifters that are built in the transmission and don't have clutch rods (that's how it is, correct?), and I figured I just better dive in.

It's irritating me, and I want to tackle it as my first improve to my new Nissan.

Thanks for any information or advice!

CDTJ

[RT22]

The transmission is in need of syncros that helps sync the gear ratios for easy shifting. Best easy fix is switch to synthetic gear oil for that particular transmission, be sure to get the proper type it will ease hard shifts, but if it is grinding syncros are shot. Sit at idle push in clutch and go through the gears while not moving I bet it goes through them all easy, but once moving the syncros have to be good to help the gears mesh

[CDTJ]

What would be the best solution for that? Rebuilding the transmission, finding a cheap junkyard one, or buying a crate transmission?

My thoughts are that I can probably get a crate transmission for as much as a shop would charge to do a rebuild.
And if I found a cheap junkyard one, is it worth the risk?

Any input?

[RT22]

Price a crate one and call locally and get price for rebuild, junk yard may be a gamble it may be as bad or worse.