If he motor is out and you cant get the bitch pin popped with a punch and hammer you need to hit the gym Hercules.

As for the shifters. I say there is nothing wrong with going with a short throw. It's true that a freshened up OEM shifter assembly will offer tighter more responsive shifting than a worn out one a short throw with new bushings and hardware feels even better IMO.

The dual bend will position the shift knob closer to the steering wheel than the single bend. Other than that it's jut a matter of preference. Consider the B&M single bend. It's what I run and it's crisp and smooth as butter.

THAT SAID I agree with the above statement and would put money into the motor mounts before the shifter. Especially the torque mounts.