Take the same shifter hold down nut off and take the shifter right out. Reach in with a big screw driver and aline all three rails, start over, I think you got it too lose this time.
They’re all aligned as it is. In fact, the reverse gear lever is swinging free - is that natural? I can move it with a screwdriver both forward and back, but nothing else moves.
Thanks for the replies. I have to go to the optometrist today and may not get back to the Elan for a couple of days. Don’t go away, I’ll probably be back. Apparently I now have to remove the cover that holds the shifter and inspect more closely. There’s something amiss, but I can’t yet tell what it is.
Thanks to one and all for the help. I finally traced the gear change problem to not having installed the top cover correctly. When I dropped it on, the boss on the hanging reverse gear lever wasn’t engaged with the slot at the end of the reverse gear rod. Apparently the lever was jammed against the rod; when I forced things a little bit, the box went into reverse, but there was no way to get it back out with the gearchange lever. The usual removal and replacement of inaccessible bolts let me cure the problem.