I just got my 1986 325es back from having a new clutch installed along with new seals and mounts for the transmission. Now if I shift into second gear and pull too much I feel & hear it grind (the transmission). It's not extreme or anything, just a slight metal against metal noise, almost like two metal plates spinning on top of each other, if I don't pull too far then no sound at all. I just want to know if this is a sign of a poor job and I need to take it back or is this normal or not a problem... A guy goes to the doctor and says "every time I move my arm up and down it hurts", the doctor said "so stop moving or arm up and down".
I'd assume whomever did the work for you test-drove the car upon completion of the job? Did they have any problems? Get it back to them ASAP before they blame it all on you.
I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a problem, but it's also not uncommon for the shift to 2nd to be balky and crunch. Redline MTL synthetic transmission fluid typically helps or completely eliminates the 2nd-gear-crunch issue, so you might want to find out what tranny fluid they used.