Okay, here's the report from my mechanic.

1.  The starter I installed (purchased from FLAPS)
    is defective.  A replacement is on its way.

2.  At some point, the idiot who reassembled the
    engine - uh wait, that was me :) - left a bolt
    out of the bracket that holds the fuel pressure
    regulator to the throttle body housing.  This
    created a nasty vacuum problem.

3.  The transmission linkage was indeed misaligned
    by the same idiot who screwed up in No. 2,
    above.  Good news here is that the shifter shaft
    did not have to be pulled, thus my new seals
    ought to be okay (until I have to redo the drive
    flange seals because that idiot that installed
    them forgot to install those inner seals like
    Frank told him - uh wait, that was me again.
    Oh well, we live and learn).

If the starter gets installed and everything
else checks out okay, Ole Billy might get to
come home today.

Best wishes,

Warren Lail
88 Westy "Billy Bones"
87 GL "Long John"