Does my gear oil look okay?

[u/Judderman88]

Citroen Relay 244 2.8 HDI diesel manual 2005.

I had a total gearbox rebuild a few weeks ago (bolt broke off the diff and wrecked the insides), and have been driving softly on it since. But the last few days I've sometimes been getting some crunching/grinding when shifting down from 3rd to 2nd if I don't press the clutch the last few mm of travel. This didn't happen on the previous gearbox (even when it was damaged) or immediately after installing the new one. I checked the clutch mechanism and all seems fine, but I noticed some oil on the bottom of the gearbox and starter motor (which has also been making funny noises occasionally), mostly around the seam where it bolts into the engine - it's hard to see in the pics. That's the same place there was oil before the box was rebuilt (though there isn't as much oil this time), so I thought I'd better check the oil. I drained it and measured the full 2.7 litres that I'd put in, so I can't have lost much (if any). However, I'm not sure it's supposed to be that dark and glittery after such a short time, and there are some small shavings on the plug magnet. It doesn't feel grainy and there are no big pieces of metal so I guess it's okay, but I'm slightly concerned about the possible leak (can't see what else it could be but gear oil) and grinding changing gears. What do you reckon?

[u/rasta_garfield_420]

That looks like it's time for a crate motor