Just a suggestion- - - -take a look at the front cab to frame mounts. It's possible the alignment of the firewall to the engine is responsible for the draggy throttle linkage. A 60-something Ford pickup I once owned had front cab mounts rusted out so bad that it broke the rag joint in the steering shaft. That was an eye-opener of a ride!
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!