Bearings would explain some. Another dodgy gear might explain more. Sounds like it needs/needed a full rebuild.

Shouldn’t. I mean the hard to get the gears in bit could be if it fails to engage the clutch properly. Once it’s in gear with clutch released (assuming it’s ones not getting stuck partially engaged) those clutch cylinders should be out of the equation. Fingers crossed for you it’s an adjustment or linkage issue. After that your transmission has some more gremlins which it’s kinda sounding like.

I guess if it was the slave getting stuck and leaving the clutch partially engaged or something then why would 1 and 5 be unaffected?

Nah. To much other metal in the road

My bad, I was half asleep. I had presumed he was going to mutilate the stud. He’s talking about gouging a hole in the side of the assembly behind. Have to take a fair chunk out to make it happen. Couldn’t be that difficult to get a pin out and start undoing a nut.

Are you going to cut the replacement, sneak it back in then weld it together? Arguably mechanics are all about getting the new part in.

RIP. Signup to organ donation.

That sounds an awful lot like business as usual with a very minor bit of let it sort itself out.

12.48 isn’t particularly good fresh from driving. Two tests that would shed more light on the issue are what voltage is the alternator putting out while running. And does the battery drop like this when disconnected.

Plus when some hack writer tells you his book is terrible and to burn it, his book is terrible and you should definitely have burned it.