I have the column completely out. Going to rebuild the coupler and go to manual steering.
I can push the lower column up into the upper part. Is this normal or has something sheared off.
I would also like to remove the
Shift mechanism as it is a floor shift.
The plastic shear pins are most likely gone.Pretty common.They were for impact and allowed the column shaft to collapse during a collision.Some guys replace them with plastic screws.Some don't replace them at all. Yes you can remove the shift mechanism.
Tip... That box coupling should have a tiny 'V' cut in the outer edge marking where the master spline inside is. This should be aligned with the master spline at steering wheel end ( where there is one ) at reassembly. It can/has be put back together 180 degrees wrong. Result is steering wheel upside down.