DOH...
Should have dawned on me before this but it didn't...
With the motor out of the frame, the nose of the transmission is going to droop BECAUSE the little mount cushion is behind the transmission's center of gravity which, OF COURSE, will throw the shift lever forward in all positions.
Raise the input shaft to the height where it's gonna live with the motor in place, and everything becomes copacetic.
End of problem.
Incidentally, the locking collar can go in either way without affecting the pattern. I tried it yesterday.