Wow, I haven't posted in a while...
So following the billowing clouds of smoke & issues I had in January, discovered the turbo was a bit fried. Reconditioned in May, all great. BOV plumbed back properly, no more flamage when backing off or gearshifts.
Just picked the car up today after gearbox recondition with new syncros and maintenance/improvement tips mentioned here
http://www.mr2australia.com/mr2play/tm.aspx?m=47482Gearshift feels nice & tight, very happy!