broke down today...but i'm actually happy about it, tranny guru's opinions needed Options

[pete914]

today i figured i would take the teener out for a drive to meet my girl for a few hours of rock climbing at our local indoor gym. I've noticed over the last week or so the transmission was shifting differently. i was having trouble finding 2nd and it was getting progressively worse. about half-way there i lost first and reverse at a stop light. flat out couldn't find it.
i put it in second and let the clutch slide out slow and figured i would take a look at the shift linkage when i got to my destination. next stop light the the connection just completely went out while i was pulling it out of 4th gear slowing down for the light. luckily there was a gas station to my right.
so i pull over and take a look. just as you might suspect, the rear linkage has come off and the cone screw has worked itself loose.
so, i i shove the shift rod back into the linkage as far as i can. it's a little greasy under there (need new pushrod seals) and i couldn't for the life of me get it much past 2/3's the way into the linkage being that i didn't have a hammer or another set of hands.
so, i decide it would have to do and tightened down the cone screw (which was still half-way out once tightened to at least 30 ft/lbs).
i get back in the car-and this is the crazy part: it shifts like a new car.
no grinding into first. it's easy to find all the gears. the only thing that tells me something is slightly off is the internal springs which helps guide the shifter seem like they are a little off center and push the shifter in weird directions when shifting (if that makes any sense).
anyway, could the shifter have been misaligned before? i was having to do the "half-way into second then into first" thing to get it to go into first without grinding. secondly, 4th gear was tricky to get it to slide in without effort.
all that's gone now...it's weird. i'm considering messing with the shift rod position, but i might leave well enough alone if you all think it's kosher.
sorry for the long post
what do you guys think?