Hello ladies and gentlemen,
I have a 1997 eclipse gst 5 speed that I have had for years. Deep into the build at this point and last year I got it running for the first time since I owned it.
I noticed that 1st gear is weird. If I am rolling it will go into 1st smoothy but if I am stopped, I almost have to force it in. There is a noticeable clunk when it does go in. Most of the time when I am at a light, I shift into second and then 1st. I feel like it makes it a bit smoother. No other gear is like this. It will even do it if the car is off and parked.
Clutch is properly adjusted and all that. I wouldnt be posting if I didnt narrow it down as far as I could.
Am I in need of a transmission rebuild? Or could it be a simple internals fix I can handle on my own?

it could be something else, but from what it sounds like is your synchros are worn on first gear, you could do the rebuild yourself, but it's a lot of parts to label and keep track of, so you need an area thats clean and people are not gonna trample through , then if you want to upgrade the 1st gear to have a double cone synchro setup you could send the gear to a shop like jacks transmission or tmz etc, to have that service done and then order a rebuild kit from them, then rebuild the transmission yourself and save some money, and learn how to fix it the next time it breaks in the future, they are not that hard to rebuild after you have done it a few times, but you do need to take measurements and make sure there is not excessive play in the gear clusters all the clearances need to be up to spec via the factory service manual it sounds like a hard job but take your time if you decide to do it or get a spare transmission and run that in the car as you rebuild this one that way you will always have a backup also you do need a shop press and gear separator to get the gear cluster apart so there is that to consider as well.

Agreed on worn synchros. When you shift into 2nd you're using seconds synchro to help match the shaft speed to engine speed. Sounds like firsts is worn out of spec.
@mitsubishikid recommends some good places, contact them for rebuild options or get the fsm if you want to tackle it yourself.

I recently rebuild my awd transmission. It was my first time rebuilding a trans. From 1-10, 10 being difficult, I’d say it’s about a 6.5-7 as long as you have the tools and patience. Tools you’ll need; press, lock ring pliers, gear separator (you can rent these), brass punch, torque wrench and basic tools. There are two ways you can go in your situation, complete rebuild or just fix what’s broken. Obviously the later will be cheaper. It cost me $600 in parts for the rebuild.

Something simple I doubt it's your cause though.. my 1st was stiff to get into and I noticed the lower radiator hose would hit the shift linkage on the transmission. I fixed that now getting into 1st is smooth.

Thank you guys for the timely response. I have been in contact with a few local guys in regards and I have gotten some mixed theories. I want to do this myself as I have done everything else myself so might as well. Probably harder than the engine rebuild but along the same path in regards to surgically sterilized environment.
I see that there are alot of write ups in regards to rebuilds of the awd trans and after careful comparison between the two via the service manual, they dont seem too much different.
RRT is also about an hour away so it's not out of the question to bring it to Raif.
The two top theories I have gotten is synchros and a shift fork.

I love doing transmissions myself, so I'd tackle it in a hot minute. I plan to go through my 2g F5M33 this summer if I can to freshen it up for a future project, and have already done two W5M33s, as well as several Toyota, Ford, Mazda a Nissan transmissions.
With the FSM and the correct tools it's not too bad as long as your attitude is right and you have some basic knowledge.
Otherwise pay the pros.

95FullSend99 said:

It will even do it if the car is off and parked.

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Synchronizers only do work when the transmission has power transfer through it (e.g. shafts/gears in motion). If the car exhibits the same symptoms at rest, I'd say synchronizers are likely not your issue.

Have you adjusted all of the shifter cables and linkages at both the trans and shifter base? Seems to me if it shifts into 1st like ass while the car is off, you're likely looking at a maladjusted shifter mechanism or damage internal to the transmission itself (rails, hubs, forks, etc.).

@twicks69 got the juice on trans problems