[wjbertrand]

Can anyone else chime in on experiences with different oils in the OEM manual tranny? I too find it difficult to shift between 1st and 2nd when the tranny is cold.

I noticed a similar improvement when I replaced my transmission lubricant with Redline MT-90 synthetic. The synthetics have much less tendancy to thicken at low temps than the dinosaur based stuff. I put Redline 75W-90 in my LSD rear end as well. It's all good.