Sorry, I can only comment on the reverse gear issue. I always engage a forward gear prior to reverse (keeping clutch depressed in between!) on my Saabs as R is unsynchronized and relies on a feeble mechanism to bring the countergear to a stop. If you do this and it still grinds (or still grinds after depressing the clutch for 10 sec or more) then it is probable that you still have power being input to the trans. The first place I would check for if that is the case is the pilot bearing in the flywheel but I would assume yours is new. This assumes, of course, that you have a properly functioning clutch actuation mechanism that provides complete disengagement.