Brent, of course 5th would seem to be the ideal gear before choosing reverse, but I've found that to often 5th may be hard to shift into while sitting. It depends on where the gears have to come to rest. As opposed to 4th, which WILL go in smooth every time. 4th does seem a little ackward at first, but I don't even think about it anymore. 4th, then reverse, it's almost natural, because I don't want to wait for the gears to stop turning (I hate to wait).
Jim (jhv) if it grinds in reverse at ANY time AFTER you either: 1. waited (long enough) for the gears to stop spinning OR 2. shifted into 4th or 5th to stop them from spinning then there is only one other possible cause; The clutch and/or pilot bearing are not fully releasing the trans input shaft and the gears are still turning.
The only reason you don't sense the clutch and/or pilot bearing not fully releasing when you shift into 1st or any other gear is because of the synchromesh on those gears. They will "mask" the slight turning of the gears, where reverse won't.
Does not matter if it's only occasionally, the fact remains, "occasionally" the clutch and/or pilot bearing are not releasing. No way is this a fault of the transmission itself, by the way...