[RedBed]

Does the little clip have anything to do with holding the gear from moving back and forth?

I thought about the teeth being stripped (or did you mean the part where the cable slips in), but I am betting that it just popped the clip and disengaged somehow? I can't find any pics of how the clip goes on, but it's a pretty simple job to pull the gear, so I will do that in a while.

If anyone knows where to find a pic of the little ring clip, that would be great.