Jus to put my 2 bits worth in..A good synthetic GL4 will make the cold
shift much better and forestall a rebuild for a while. My choice is
Redline MT 90 fo your van. Proven good results a hundred times over (well
OK maybe 50 times). Just do it. I have it for $10 a qt if you can't find
it locally.
 Daryl of AA Transaxle
Duvall, WA. (Seattle area)
(425) 788-4070
1-877-377-0773 (toll free)
aatransaxle.com (web site)

>> When I just jump in and go I get a mean grinding sound going from 1st
gear
>> to 2nd gear until the van gets warmed up.  After the temperature
needle
>> gets moving (~5min of driving) the grinding goes away and it also
feels
>> smoother shifting into other gears.  Any ideas about what is causing
the
>> grinding?