Hey Duff, I am not exactly clear by your description what combo of parts your using. The only stock original shifter I ever used was in a 67 I did years ago which was in good shape so I put everything back in the way it came. If you are going to be using your original rods and are trying to put aftermarket Hurst style plastic bushings on them from what I remember once the rubber is removed the rod end is smaller then the aftermarket rod. The main thing to remember is that the end product should have as little side to side rocking deflection as possible but still rotate smoothly to prevent missed shifts. If you are using the original rods and levers and you find the aftermarket plastic bushings will not accomplish this I would suggest you go to a local independent machine shop and bring your rods and levers and have them make them out of bronze. I have had to do this on old farm machinery and heavy equipment where there is excessive wear, always with good results. As far as the original setup of washers and clips I know either the GM parts book or the manual has an exploded view of these.