1st and 2nd went out on my 96 but all the other gears work what is the best solution. I has a M5OD-R2 and a 351w

 

If you know how to work on engines, there’s a good rebuild thread out there to rebuild it. Start and pull the top cover to inspect shift fork.

 

It can "find the gear" but they wont engage is it still likely to be the fork or is it more likely to be a synchro or something

 

I’m no trans expert so take what I say as such! I believe it can still cause that issue from what I’ve read. A little time consuming to pull the cover off, but that can give you a great idea of what you’re dealing with. Take pics of the forks and syncros and post them up.

 

Ok thanks. Probably be Monday before I can

 

Not sure if you’ve done it before or not. In case not, pull carpet down to seat. Remove screws that hold the trans panel and pull the cover. Don’t have to pull trans.

 

The shift rails and the forks and the pins need to be inspected
Be prepared to take your lumps at a shop
* Be in neutral, then pull the top off
Inspect the roll pins first, then install the shifter back into the tower
Watch it shift through all of the gears
You are liable to see what's wrong while inspecting the tower while shifting it
Inspect the blocker rings while the top is off, sometimes they crack