For Question Number 2: It'd also be a good idea to check all the bushings and linkages between the column shifter and the transmission.
I had that on my '54 Buick 3-spd manual. Most of the original bushings were gone, so the linkage had to move 1/4-inch before the rod moved the shift levers on the trans. Once I swapped in new bushings where the rods go into the levers, and adjusted everything, it shifted nicely.
-Brad
