Doing shakedown runs getting ready for the NE Gathering.
All of a sudden 2nd gear is hard to find 2/3 of the time (resulting in grinding, presumably with reverse) and sometimes 4th is hard to find. Had a new JM West shifter put in this past Fall, replacing all bushings etc. Shifter in need of an adjustment? Clutch seems fine but not ruling that out?
Group wisdom greatly appreciated!

either you broke a bushing, have a loose set screw, or the nut for the splined rod at the back of the shift lever has loosened

Thanks! Will check them out. Thought (?) I heard a bit of a clunk under or on the left side of the car a few miles before it started happening. The boot from the firewall is in place as is the cap on the transmission casing.

Firewall bushing? If so, just cut the wall of the new one at 45 degrees & slip it on the shift rod. Then push it into the firewall (from the engine well).

Man, I hope this is external. That would be simple and painless. If not, we can see what needs done. Some internal failures will do this and sometimes upgrading externals forces internals to fail faster than they already were.

In the operating room now. Will report ASAP. Should be minor such as screw or bushing.

I just went through this, shifter was catching reverse instead of going into second from first... and 4th was really hard to find no matter how much I tried to adjust the shift pattern.

Turned out the set screw between the shift rod and shift linkage just after the firewall bushing had backed out.

Thanks! Am hoping that's all it is.

Resolution! Both bushings in the shifter coupling by the firewall. One toast, the other gone. They were ok last year when the shifter was replaced. Go figure. Vroom vroom! On to the NE Gathering (and rain festival, apparently).