Add one to the "I just did this and the PDF and information here saved my butt" crowd. Only took about an hour total. Getting the plug out from the back of the ignition unit was a challenge but some vice grips and anger fixed it no problem. I was lucky that my releasing pin pushed in without effort. Very obvious signs of wear and binding on the locking lug that gets removed as part of this fix. Thanks all for the detailed post!!
-Kevin