I decided to break this out of the solid shifter discussion. I believe I may have added some confusion by throwing it into the middle of a conversation. Below is the post.
EDIT: I printed this and it is a very tight fit. I need to tweak it a little before it is truly functional.
"I am in Finland for the next month with some time to burn, so I figured I would make my contribution to this topic.
I have removed the factory plastic linkage adapters and replaced them with metal ends. Much like the new DF kit. However, I still had some slop which was coming from the factory shift bushing. Not the little one for the side to side motion, but the larger one that the shift lever actually rides in. The shifter takes up slop in the bushing before the shift cable actually moves. So, before I left the US, I took some measurements so I could work on a solution while I am sitting in the hotel.
Attached is the STL for my perception of an improved shifter bushing. I have not tested or even printed a prototype. So, if anyone is bored, print one off and give me some feedback. I made the tolerances basically nonexistent, so it will be snug, but potentially excessively. Let me know and I will edit it.
The bushing snaps around the ball on the shifter, so I am thinking that soaking the printed bushing in some warm/hot water will help with the install and prevent cracking. Also, given that the tolerances are quite tight, some kind of dry lube will probably help smooth the motion until it wears in."