[Ewr101]

I just got mine put back together. It was a little different than yours but probably just due to a different steering wheel.

1- Yes it should just pull off. You might need to get a puller from the auto parts store. They rent them cheap or you could buy one cheap too. (I didn't have that part in my column, that's what's different between mine and yours)

2-There is a bearing that the steering rod rides on to keep it centered and turning freely. You'll see it after you get that first part off. Yours sounds like it's either fubar'ed or not there at all.

3-Turn signal switches are readily available online or at the parts stores. you shouldn't have any problems replacing the cracked one.

4- the pin is just one piece. it should be long enough to go through the column, the shifter and the column again but not long enough to come back out the bottom. If the shifter has lots of play the balled end (the end you cant see) might be worn or the pin might be too short to reach the other side of the column causing the slop in the shifter.

LMC.com should have everything you need.