The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Shift Box on 51 sucks?

So the truck gets stuck in first quite often now. I took the shift box apart once, and it seems simple enough. Mine had shims on the ends(copper plates), and I read once here that someone else had them to tighten up the shifting. Apparently they aren't doing such a good job anymore. Do you think all I have to do is replace the shift box? One of the vendors has it for $47, so I'm hoping that's the problem...whatcha think?

I have "rebuilt" some of these shift boxes by welding onto the internal forks and closing the clearance between them so the little tang can't get between the forks. It worked fine but has to be re-done every now and then due to wear. These shift boxes are a real pain when not working right.

I'd probably opt for a rebuilt unit since I'm not much of a welder. The truck is really starting to be a chore to drive. Any time I pull into a parking space, I've got to pop the hood to jiggle the linkage to get her in reverse. Wife's having trouble not laughing at me...