where does the white plastic/nylon ring go in the shifter?

 

That's the bearing for the pivot. It fits just under the large ball in the middle of the shifter.

 

are you referring to the one with the u-shaped cutout to clear the pin?

 

you mentioned the word "ring", so obviously it's the one dgeesaman is referring to. That's the part that usually breaks (mine was). Once that is replaced, the solid shift feel should return.

 

does a plastic ring go on the top of the large rubber shift boot?

 

There is a plain white plastic ring that holds the big rectangular shift boot to the shifter.

There are two plastic rings that have a rounded interior to fit around the big shifter ball. One above, one below. They can be oil-stained white or blue. The wave washers clip onto these rings and keep them gently pressed against the shifter ball.

There is a plastic cup-like ring, the smallest of the 3 types, that cups the shift selector at the very end of the shifter. It snaps on and off. Some people upgrade this one to a metal version.

Dave