The washer is located on the outside of the shifter body between the arms. The tab is bent over and goes inside a notch in the shifter body. The tab on mine is gone. What does it do? What problems will it cause without it?

 

It keeps the inner spacer of the shifter body from turning and interfering with shifting. The tab should be recreated or the part replaced.

 

Thanks, I get to do a little welding