Oh ok. Thanks for clearing that up. I think I understand. So your truck has eight cylinders but three of them are dead but that’s ok because the other five are still good so everything is fine.

 

Not like that, no. A better example would be: The engine is running good, other than a cylinder is misfiring and a spark plug needs to be replaced. This doesn't mean to imply the spark plug doesn't need to be changed and the engine should be allowed to misfire and suffer poor fuel economy and performance. It just means, the engine is operating fine otherwise; so the problem has been isolated to one bad cylinder. Since his trans is operating great other than not starting in first gear; a tiny little broken spring might be the culprit, preventing it from working like new. Something that would easily go unchecked and unnoticed during a reman too.
I'm saying; The problem is isolated to this. Here is how you fix it.
You're misreading/misunderstanding as: It's fine, just run it without fixing 1st gear.

 

I didn’t misinterpret anything. I simply read what you wrote.

 

The second part of the sentence is equally as important as the first part. You seem to be skipping it, as if it's not there. It just means: Other than not having 1st gear, the trans is operating correctly. It doesn't mean the trans is operating correctly, even if it doesn't have first gear. I think that's how your misinterpreting it.

So, it's just saying; The trans only issue is having no first gear. Other than this; no issues should be chased because the rest of the trans doesn't have an issues, see? He has all the other gears, so this is why you'll focus on not having 1st gear only. There would be no point in trying to focus on the valve body where 2-3 shift, OD, temp sensor etc.etc.etc. are related, because there are no other symptoms other than not having 1st gear. So ones attention will just be solely on the no 1st gear issue, because..........."Sounds like it's all good, minus having no 1st gear."

I suppose "all" might have thrown you off? However, the equally as important second part of the sentence still makes it a correct sentence.......So "all" was in fact still good; other than 1st gear not working. "All" meaning "all the rest" of the trans, other than 1st gear not working, ok?

If this doesn't help, I'm not a good enough explainer. This is the best I can do. It seemed like an easy enough sentence to me, when I typed it........Still does.