I was able to get out in the truck this weekend. I am happy to report that the sneaky trick of shifting from second quickly into first works great! I am thrilled I can drive it now without grinding into first. I'm learning that I need to plan ahead in my driving when it comes to lower speeds. For instance I had to slow to let a pedestrian cross the street while I was going up a slight hill. I was going too slow for 2nd gear but I was still moving so I couldn't get into first without making a complete stop first which seemed to bother the traffic behind me. I'll get the hang of it after a few more trips on the road.
As far as my idle speed goes. I installed the tach and it was reading at 600 rpms. I adjusted it down to just below the 500 rpm line. The manual says 475 but the tach isn't that exact. I went for a spin and still had the grinding in first issue. So hopefully the more driving I do the problem will eventually go away as the clutch wears in.
Thank you everyone for the help!
