The longest detent spring I have is 2.605" (2.549" with light caliper friction preload), so I've used it, may or may not make a difference.
That's only about .070" longer than the ~4.480"/2.525" spring I've been using. For the record, all springs are 0.038 wire by~0.315" dia. which appears to be metric specs. (1mm x 8mm)
To determine how much engagement I have in third gear, I put the mainshaft with its two sliding gears and selector fork in place in the sleeve gear and in situ, and measured the sliding gear float best I could (between sel. fork cheeks) @ ~ 0.034".
I also calculated that when the mainshaft is pulled snug to the bearing in inner case, is a difference of ~0.045" from being hard up against the sleeve gear. This added together gives 0.079" less possible engagement (~2mm).
I forgot to measure how much the third sliding gear (E) engages with gear (G), will check in the morning if not working.
Question;- to reduce all this slop and reduced meshing, I wonder if adding a shim between the sliding gears, and between (G) and bearing would have any ill effect, other than moving the clutch out some...?
Hope that makes sense, I had planned on doing a drawing, but.....maybe later