Aligning gears when shifting

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Have recently completed adjustments on clutch cable as well as on the foot pedal. Gears had improved, but suddenly yesterday, I had a great deal of difficulty in lining up 1st and 2nd gear. It was as though they weren't there. No problem finding 3rd / 4th and 5th and Reverse. Initially I thought that the shift coupling between the rear seats had slipped, but it was still tight. I followed the instructions on how to Improve Shifting off the Pelican Site (same as in my Bentley Manual), by loosening the clamp, rotating the coupler counter-clockwise looking to the rear of the car, and the shifter left in line with 1st & 2nd gear, so it is "pre-loaded?" I then tightened the clamp once again, but then 5th and Reverse wouldn't engage. After several attempts I've found a balance, but reverse and 5th remain difficult if I don't go through several other gears first. Could this be the bushings that are worn out also causing this, or perhaps I'm not adjusting it properly? Any ideas would be appreciated. Have also order a short-shifter and new bushing set just in case from Pelican.

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Just wanted to add some details for others who may have a similar problem, as I believe I've resolved this issue. I ordered a Weltmeister Short Shift Kit as well as replacement bushings for both the base of the shift rod (ball socket 911- 424-139-00) as well as the bushing for the linkage shaft (friction ring 911-424-224-00). Although the ball socket wasn't too bad, the friction ring was in four different pieces laying below the linkage. The challenge I had was trying to remove the conical set screw (901-424-229-00) from the base of shift rod head. This is a small allen socket and I just couldn't get the angle without starting to strip the screw head. I had a new screw but decided not to try my luck. Instead I made a small incision across the width of the friction ring (thick rubber) in order to allow it to wrap around the gear shift rod. I then carefully pressed it into the bearing bracket (930-424-031-00). After lubricating all moving parts I reassembled. I bought allen (pan-head screws) at a local fastner store to replace the regular bolts that came with the short shift kit. Figures it made sense to put in similar parts (although slightly longer ones were required (from length 20 to 35 mm in order to allow extra plate which came with the short shift kit to be bolted down).

All in all a great fix and now the gears are solid with no slippage. Alignment was easy after this using the standard methodolgoies descibes in many other posts. The shorter throw takes some getting used to however.

Thanks to all for your recommendations.