My transmission shifter won't go all the way into 3rd & 4th gear

I have a stock 01 Taco, no body lift, hence the boot isn't binding or anything. The shifter feels like it is only going about 1/2 way into each gear. I doesn't pop out as I would think it would. Occasionally it will grind a bit going into 4th, and I feel I need to hold the shifter down, to keep it from popping out. The only thing I have done to the truck is put Royal Purple 75-90 in the tranny, tcase, and both diffs. Any help would be greatly appreciated...having a hard time sleeping worrying about my baby.

Jimmy

 

When it grinds going into a gear, it means your synchros are going out.

 

It only grinds occasionally because something mechanically is keeping the shifter from fully engaging. I'm 95% sure thats not the problem, I have had bad sychros before and it would always go all the way into gear. I am lost, going to pull the shifter out and check the plastic bushing on the ball of the shifter, if it has one, like an old Borg Warner, or an old Samuria I used to have.

 

Whew, all the problem was the shifter plastic bushing inside the transmission. $68 repair bill from the dealer!

 

glad you got it figured out.
I was about to ask if you were used to driving a different vehicle. I went from a full size bronco with a 4 speed to my old sonoma and I thought it only went half way into gear because I was used to having to move the shifter like 2 feet to shift gears in the bronco lol.