Check to see if the spring inside the box is missing or broken or installed wrong.
Check all of the shift rod ends for excessive wear.
Check the bell crank for excessive wear on the pivot pin. With the inconsistency of this problem occurring in your case, I would suspect the above mentioned wear items are causing your intermittent jamming. I TIG welded mine to replace the missing metal and ground them down to original shape.
Carl


1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission