When rotating R-L L-R, the shifter lever will be pivoting on the round shifter shaft (main rod), so that rod should have been lightly greased (in the housing also) with some synthetic lube of sorts, and the bottom ball "should" be sliding also L-R R-L as it's movement will be 180 out from the top of the shifter handle....and this point on the sliders "should" also be lubed.....? Also your entire shifter shaft will be rotated when you do this....so it's not gonna be freeeeely floating...... Try it from the top of the shift lever and see how it feels......but be sure that all is lubed!!!
A note that hosed me up.... Be certain to adjust your single Heim joint at the rear chassis (two Heim joint systems could be different!) mounting point so that the shift rod doesn't get hung up on the rubber boot at the firewall, and dork with your 2 & 4 shift or perhaps 1-3-5 positions! I rebuild my ZF thinking it was majorly hosed as it was popping out of gear (but it also was minorly hosed!!!) when all that was wrong is that I had adjusted the Heim joint height incorrectly and the rubber boot was getting pinched!!!! DOH!!!!! The shaft takes an unusual path when it actually moves........have seen some pretty bent up shifter shafts to get it right! (Factory bends!!!)
Steve