Just in case it helps anyone else…
I replaced my worn nylon gear lever pivot bush with an oil filled plain bronze bush from 123bearing.co.uk
Part number BNZ16-19-19 Cost £5.45 plus postage.
It was a perfect fit. Rarely has an idea worked out so well…
(I bought two hoping that the brake lever will be another win. Yet to check that one out)
I did something similar on my G5 about forty years ago. Make sure it’s kept cleaned and oiled/greased because when you change gear you put a lot of side pressure on that bush. Any dirt or dryness in there and it starts to wear away at both ends; eventually you end up in the same situation as if you had the OEM nylon bush but it just takes a bit longer. DAMHIK.
I also tried needle bearings (made new gear and brake levers just for that) but although they made gear changes an absolute delight they lasted even less time than the bushes did, despite proper cleaning and care.
Yep. I did think of drilling and tapping for a grease nipple…
This was often a fairly common modification, I remember a friend did it for his T3 around the late 1970’s or early '80’s.