Hard shifting on a manual 5 speed after city driving

I had a hard time shifting neutral to 1st and eventually it would refuse to go into first until the transmission has warmed up some. Changing the fluid with redline mt90 helped a ton. Shifter bushings are also worth doing at the same time

 

Quick update:
I did drain the transmission fluid and put it 2.75 quarts of redline mt-90. Fluid that came out was a normal level of gross, no metal bits so I *think* (hope) the transmission’s fine. Haven’t had a chance to do the shifter bushing yet- work and school full time and also have an o2 sensor issue on the list, so it’s slow progress.

 

I haven’t forgotten to update, just wanted to be sure I replicated the trouble situation a handful of times to be sure the problem was actually fixed.
Also afraid I’m going to jinx it by saying yes, it is fixed!
I tried everything in this thread except messing with the clutch pedal with no success. With my brother’s suggestion, I ended up replacing the clutch and that seems to have done it. No way of knowing when it was last done so I was happy to do it either way- old clutch looked ok but the throw out bearing was totally shot.
Thank you all a million for your help, and I’m sorry I don’t have a more definitive solution to offer!

 

I'm trying to fix this same issue - shifter isn't smooth esp. when cold (below freezing). I changed the clutch fluid and it didn't help much. I should have checked this forum beforehand. I just used the Toyota brake fluid... I am tempted to try the Redline MT90.
Anyone happen to know why Redline is so popular here (5-speed Manual Transmission)? Would I need to flush the old or could I suck it out from the reservoir?
Also, how would I diagnose if my shifter bushings need to be replaced?
Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

 

Redline did not fix the problem I was having but it did make shifting feel like cutting butter overall. The difference was wild. And all I did was drain from the transmission pan and refill with 2.7 qts or so. Even still, made a noticeable difference that made the risk of a flush seem unnecessary.
And the shifter bushings are so cheap and easy to do it’s definitely worth trying

 

Thank you. I will give it a go. The cold/below freezing temps lately makes it worse.

 

FWIW you can’t really flush a manual transmission as there’s no fluid pump to do a flush with like in an automatic trans. I think you’re getting the two transmission types mixed up.

 

Copy. Thank you. You're right. I'm trying to figure it out... Wrenching is definitely not my forte. I am a chef turned teacher. I'm grateful for your honest/truthful information. The people where I am living now aren't so forthcoming. This forum has been my best resource.