Don't want to scare you...but, those were my symptoms before all hell broke loose in my 5-speed meltdowns. I had a noticeably noisier 5th gear on the way home from a trip, then a few days later, the magnitude of the noise became greater. In the days just before el destructo, the 'box was noisy on shifting into the lower gears, like I didn't have the clutch all the way in.

Someone (maybe Kevin C or Lizzord???) had some really good tips on specifically what was beefed up in the later models, as well as a couple of tricks to keep things from flying apart. I seem to remember something about a nut on a countershaft or something. (Obviously, I am not a real good mechanic or anything remotely close to one...). FastEddy has some really good tips; I would follow his advice to the "T". My gear lube is coming out and ATF is going in!

John B.