is there any way to reduce the distance of the shifter throw in my '86 alfa spider?
any fix for the chronic second gear grind?
Shifter throw: go to an Alfa forum, ask if there’s a ‘short shift kit’ available.
Grinding gears: you could ask, I would guess it’s the 2nd gear synchronizers going out.
Is the shifter just kind of loosy goosey? I’d inspect the rubber bushings in the shifting mechanism. As suggested above, there has to be a good Alfa forum out there somewhere. Double clutch downshifting where you match the RPMs of the engine to it’s speed in the lower gear while you are in neutral with your foot off of the clutch is the only cheap cure for that grinding. The real cure is a transmission rebuild.
If the grind occurs when up shifting you may be shifting too soon. If you accelerate to 3,000 rpms, step on the clutch and smoothly shift to 2nd does the grind occur? And is the clutch dragging? Does it grind shifting into reverse? But I agree with MG, if proper technique doesn’t help you’re in the market for a rebuild.