Ford Repair: 1994 Ranger 4x4 5 spd, synthetic atf, trans fluid

Question
Clutch has been replaced and it goes into gear really hard.If you wiggle the shifter it will go into gear.Is this the ball under the shift lever? Is it replaceable or does the trans need replaced? If it can be replaced can it be done with out dropping the trans?
Thanks

Answer
If it is hard to shift with and without the engine running, you could need new shifter bushings.  They go for about $14 each and there are 2 of them.  They are only available from Ford and are not too hard to replace.  It's also possible that the transmission is going bad-- your truck has the "Mazda M5R1" transmission which is known for hard shifting when they get worn out.  Usually they blow trans fluid out of the rubber shift rail plugs and get hot-- if you haven't changed the fluid recently, it might be worth a try.  The fluid that comes out should NOT be black (this indicates a burned up transmission).  The fluid that goes IN should be semi-synthetic or full-synthetic ATF.  Hope this helps,
Jason