Got it! Checked out underneath (boy, it's tight around the tranny shift arm/tunnel area!) and found only that the bushings at the tranny shift arm/linkage are gone. That's the *clank*. As for the shifter, I didn't find any broken parts. Used liberal amounts of silicone lube and flooded the area from above where the shifter passes through the dust boot. Worked the lever a lot and eventually it loosened up. Now it has lateral spring-back tension and the shift lever moves through the gates easily. Now I just need to get some new bushings and ask my little 6-inch-tall mechanic's helper to get in there to install them! .