You can't see from the picture but the piece terminates at the bottom with a bulb, which is the only way it can be configured, confined within the rod as it is, and still transfer downward motion correctly.

The bottom bulb is about the length that would need to be cut off. If that were done the piece would then end with a 1/4" + long thin piece that would bend at the first use.

 

Are you sure it doesn't look like this with a portion of the one you have still stuck down in there? (and you still use a chopstick as well)

 

It's something that's better explained by seeing it. You can't see from the picture above but the piece terminates with a bead at the bottom. The length it needs to be cut down is about the height of one of those beads, which means the piece would then terminate with one of those short thin sections. Any downward motion on it would make it give way on the first try.

 

Why not trim 1/8" off each end using a file? That would take care of that extra 1/4". Or cut 1/4" off the top and reshape the rest with a file or even a coping saw if need be to fit. A Dremel will take care of that as well. Lay the old next to the new and see what you can cut and still have a workable part.

 

When I broke mine I used it as an excuse to make a custom shift handle with a button/shaft that fir the broken plastic piece. But I also used a nail pounded lightly into the broken piece and it worked alright for a while.

 

Perhaps I should clarify, if the old part is removed in its entirety, the new one will not need to be modified.