Vince - So you have not rebuilt the shifter as suggested in this thread back in 2011?
That is where I would start.
Common for them to jam or lock out in 1-2 or miss 2nd when the old rubber bushings rot or the carrier gets sloppy.
Rebuild kits are about 100 bucks or you can send it to Hurst to be rebuilt. Also I suggest using the pit pack bushings that are steel or the hardened steel versions as the original rubber style or the later plastic ones are just bad news all the way around.
Your trans has been serviced a few times and if there was something wrong with the indents or the forks that would have been found if it is a good shop.
I've been in your shoes a couple times in the past 30 years. Always at night in less then "hey lets get underneath and see whats up" conditions.
I have been able to set it straight and get home by shutting down and going through the following pattern:
Start by learning how to double clutch.
Since you won't be spinning engine power you need to have some slight movement on the trans without grinding your gear box to scrap under engine power.
The double clutching moves the spindle just enough to work out the jam. So clutch in, clutch out, then clutch in and SLOWLY try to pull her into neutral gate.
This may not happen the first few times so be patient and slowly move through the gates, brute force is not necessary, required or desired.
Once in neutral clutch out, then clutch in, clutch out clutch into reverse since reverse can actually be thrown while you are actually in 1-2 or 3-4 since there is no indent to lock-out for reverse in the tail like there is on 1-2 3-4 under the cover plate. If the 1-2 indent lock-out failed you would hear grinding into reverse if you were under engine power.
Once in reverse double clutch go neutral again then double clutch first, double clutch back to neutral then take a deep breath make peace with your God and double clutch second. If she grabs second you are more then likely clear of the jam. You can put her back in neutral, start it up and slowly clutch out and if you go nowhere you are clear and in neutral. Slowly crawl forward with first, then neutral, then backward in reverse, then neutral. Head home. Just be slow and steady shifting home cause the misalignment will still exist and could hit you at any 2nd gear shift you make. Worse time I had it was about 40 minutes of footwork before she cleared.
If the jam doesn't clear the first sequence continue the pattern double clutch to third, back to neutral then up to fourth then back to neutral then reverse. Then start the sequence all over again. Eventually she will clear the jam and you can get home unless it is truly a mechanical failure.
The first time I ran into this I discovered that I had a mix of OEM factory Hurst Comp plus and Hurst Aftermarket Comp plus rods, levers and mount. The rubber bushings were also like goo. There is a difference between the factory hardware and mount and what Hurst sold as aftermarket conversion units under the Competition Plus name and you need the right set for your shifter. Once I set that straight I neglected to maintain the system and a loose lower mount bolt and sloppy bushings caused another incident a few years later when the plastic bushings cracked and bound 2nd up again.
The steel bushings, good lock washers on the lower mounting bolt and regular inspections are my defense against another incident.
