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I tore into it last night and it appears that beartracks was correct! The shift collar has broken into two pieces. At least I won't have to pull the whole column. Now to find the parts.
The shift collar breaking in two = very common. The main reason why....you can still buy it from Ford.
while you have it apart, check the shift tube
the piece on the top that the shift lever fits into is spot welded to the tube, and can snap off...............no more shifting then either
tack-weld it on the sides and lower end for some insurance