"so when clean" can be the key.. the shifter boxes can get all gummed up with crud and old grease which can keep the parts from moving freely. i see you're in Wisconsin where it is cold and that can cause problems if the box doesn't have lo-temp grease in it. I have taken several apart and in many cases the grease was like wax and in one case the box had some DIY shims in there to account for wear but all they did was jam up the works...
