Originally Posted by JCL

The clutch is hydraulically actuated. When you press the clutch pedal it pumps fluid to move the clutch pressure plate out, and when you release the clutch pedal the fluid flows back, as the pressure plate engages the clutch disk.

The Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) is a one way flow restrictor in the line between the clutch master cylinder and the slave cylinder. When you press the pedal, it has no effect. When you release the pedal, the fluid return flow is restricted, so the clutch engages more slowly. That is designed to reduce the driveline shocks. The problem is that if you are tuned in to when the clutch should engage, you may notice that the take up isn't smooth, essentially because the clutch is engaging at a point in time other than when you expect it to. This is all worse in the lower two gears, and not noticeable in the higher gears. It only effects clutch engagement, and has no impact when driving otherwise.

You can just take the CDV out, but then it is obviously altered from stock and some prefer not to get into that discussion with their dealer. If you get a modified 'machined' CDV the guts have been taken out of it, so it has no effect, but it looks stock.

Your unnatural shifting feeling is likely the CDV. Getting it into first is not connected to the CDV.