2004 232 RX2 bravo 3 tough to shift from neutral

I have a new to me 2004 232 RX2  400 hrs with 6.2 and bravo 3.  Seems tough to get the shifter from its locked position to forward or reverse. Once in gear its easy and smooth just tough coming out of neutral either way. I have removed the cables from the motor and it is effort less with the cables undone. I even went ahead and took the control box apart to regrease and check it out. All looked good in there and even set the detent on it fairly soft. Used a hose and compressed air to force lube down through the cables just to lube them up and undone from the motor they are smooth. Hooked up to the motor its tough again getting out of neutral. Tough enough sometimes when it finally goes i over shoot and go into gear pretty hard and have to chop back off the gas.  Sometimes it seems like when shifting into forward it will sometimes rev slightly before shifting as well and kind of slam into gear. Not super hard but with rpms higher it clunks in pretty good.  I removed the back cover on the bravo 3 to check the detent ball to make sure no water or nothing had been in there and screwed things up but once opened, it all looked brand new. detent ball and shift arm had plenty of grease on them but went ahead and cleaned it all up a regreased it all.  With the back cover removed i decided to see how it shifted and it felt smooth as can be and come out of neutral forward or reverse with ease. Greased the detent up and put the cover back on and it is again tough getting out of neutral. I talked to a guy who says the bravo 3 can be alittle tough due to the spring on that detent ball being so stiff and that they have cut one wind off the spring for people who have this complaint to fix the issue.  Has anyone else dealt with this and agree that the detent in the bravo 3 is my issue since with the cover off its smooth and shifts fine. 
Also im assuming that the slight rev sometimes when going into forward is a linkage slightly out of adjustment but not super familiar with boats so how do you go about getting the linkages correct. 
Thanks again guys.  
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