dad6timz,

I'm trying to visualize your setup. Sometimes, you can take a piece of bar stock the same OD as the shift rod and use it to 'load' the detent spring and ball. You leave it in place in the fork and slide this assembly onto the shift rod.

As you slide it on, the shift rod pushes the little dummy piece out, but as these two rods are end to end, the bearing and spring stay captured and now the shift rod holds all the pieces in place...clear as mud!

Stuart