2nd gear linkage

[landrovered]

The only way to see if your motor mount is bad is to pull it. It may or may not be the source of your second gear grinding issue. I think that a shot synchronizer is more likely the culprit. Sure you might be able to milk it a while but gearboxes generally do not heal themselves. I think you are putting off the inevitable, but like you, I tried eveything to prove to myself that it was not what it really was. Eventually you just come to the realization that a rebuild is in order.