So my side shift gear lever is very sloppy (what's new!) sorted the rear end and much improved but replacing the 2 bushes at the front end is proving mysterious! The spring that pushes the gear lever up into it's surrounding socket still leaves about nearly a quarter inch vertical play ie the top bush doesn't seem to want to go all the way up and take up the slack! Is this what's supposed to happen or does it need to be driven in somehow? I'm sure someone has been here before me, all suggestions welcomed.

This would be sooooo much easier with pictures. The detent(e?) plate should be pushing up on that spring so the shift lever ball is up tight. Mine is lubed and still takes a little effort to move it.

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Thanks for the prompt reply, I will take some photos but for now I have only one spring either side of the lever, so it's not quite the same and it's certainly not pushing up into the cup, the plastic bush (upper) will not go high enough to push lever all the way up?!

I modified my shifter, but it spent 50 years as a factory side shifter. Is the ball right up against the sheet metal cup? Nothing in the way but maybe some grease? All three of these pieces go underneath the ball

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I have that spring arrangment you show and no the ball does not sit tight up against the cup, there's maybe nearly a quarter inch gap. It seems that the plastic bush doesn't want to go all the way up to support the ball?!

Problem solved but am I loosing it! The spring was reversed so that the top bush which is bigger than the lower bush would not take up the slack in the ball cup! Took me quite a while to tumble that! but thank you for your prompt replies