Not had a problem with mine & selecting 2nd gear when cold, did you get any warranty with it ?? With the correct ford oil in it should work fine from cold in any gear.

The noisy when you dip the clutch is probably the thrust bearing on the clutch.

The ford oil should be ok on a standard gearbox but some recommend 75w90 fully synth gear oil for all transmission parts. I'm going to try this in mine this year as the car & box is 14yrs old now.