New shifter looks good, works bad...

[MercFan]

I just installed a brand new wood shifter I picked up off of ebay. I noticed that the shaft bend was a different shape than the original. I was able to screw it in place with some patience. It looks good, but everything is off: when I shift to 'R' it's not engaging the reverse... when I continue shifting to a 'D' that it finally goes into Reverse. I have to go one past the 'D' to get it to go forward... Frustrating... looks like it may not be usable after all... what a bummer.

Any clues would be appreciated.