On my 73 240 with 200k+ miles I still have the stock 4 speed. The second gear synchro is a bit worn and for the first few 1-2 shifts when cold I can feel the gears hitting a bit before they engage. I recently replaced the gear oil and things got better, but it's still noticeable. Once warm, the issue goes away.

So my question is if it is better to shift slowly so that the revs can fall on their own and put less stress on the synchro, or shift faster so there is less slippage with the synchro?

Hope this isn't too philosophical... :stupid:

S-L-O-W

Will you be ok with shifting slow for 5 min till the car warm's up?? It would be a very bad idea to shift faster, you dont want to make a small problem a big one.

From my same experience it also helped to flush out the clutch master and slave with fresh fluid. Also inspect flex hose to slave to make sure it is not soft and swollen with age. If you do not get full release on your pressure plate and the disc drags even a little you will get those "notchy" feeling shifts. What you did so far is good. It is not always a syncro problem. Make sure the whole clutch release system is in good shape first.

Double de-clutching will also help - lots.