You are more than welcome...

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So, I found a couple of wave washers in my stash of nuts and bolts to use with the adjusting tee-bolts.  Put them on opposite sides of the threaded stud of the tee bolt - this separates the rods.  Probably picked up a good 1/16" separation - enough to eliminate the interference.  Also installed bushings on the trans levers.  Found some nylon ones at the local hardware store, drilled out the levers and set the bushings in JB Weld overnight.  Put it all back together today, got it adjusted and everything works smoothly.  Still going to get new bushings for the shifter arms.
Check that one off the list.
Thanks for your help
Mike

Kultulz - Thanks for the Ebay links.  The 7303 looks like mine; the 7302 is completely different.  My 7302 is a shorter version of 7303 with a sharper kink in the dogleg.  No threaded stud?? midpoint.
I blew up the attached illustration - which is the one I'm using - and compared it to the highlighted parts list.  It confirms my current thinking.  What I missed are the wave washers on the adjustment tee's that will hold them tight to the shifter arms.  I don't know if I have any original type but I stopped at the hardware store this afternoon and picked up what they had.  Tomorrow I'll A) look in my stash of original nuts 'n bolts and see if I come up with a pair then B) install either the original type or the ones I bought and see if that helps.
I plan to bush the transmission arms more to the size of the rods.  I found some nylon bushings that should be a bit larger ID than the rod diameter.  Just tighten things up a bit down there.
The other thing I should do while I'm at it is replace the bushings on the 7302/3.  I've found kits that contain 4 sets of bushings, etc but don't know if they will fit mine or not.  Need to do more hunting.
All the body mounting pads and engine mounts are new - well, the pads were installed 35+ years ago.  The trans mount is the original one.  The steady rest pad is new.
Thanks for your insight.  I'll post how it goes.
Mike

Find attached highlighted ILL & TXT from the MPC. They may appear small and maybe will have to download and enlarge

Look @ PN 7336 at the shift arms.

Also attached are the two arms available NOS on E-BAY and will give an idea of appearance. The shift rod bushings are included in the arms.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296708091960
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284319903250

Engine and trans mounts are good and no body sag on the frame from bad body mounts?

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I have the old-style two volume paper book set - Illustrations and text.  Blue covers.  My manual is for a '55 with a green cover.  Also have a Chilton's covering '55.
Yes, I've taken the floor shifter out and am returning it to 3 on the tree.
The adjustment isn't the issue; it's the fact that the lever arms on the steering column come in contact when the 2nd/3rd lever is in neutral and the R/1st lever is moved into R.  Not enough to bind up, but it makes it hard to get into R.  I spent yesterday doing what if's.  I looked at the column arms and there is only one way they go together.  Tried putting the tee bolt on the firewall side of the 1/R but that resulted in the rod binding lower down the firewall.  I replaced the 1st/R trans case lever with another one I have - exact same profile but the slotted hole is at a different angle relative to the center line of the arm - maybe 10-15d - resulting in moving the rod hole further forward which caused interference with the clutch arm.  I'm back to the original install.
Couple the thoughts I had - I don't recall the illustrations showing any bushings/washers between the arm bodies and the sleeve they insert into, but if there are and I forgot to put them in, that would separate the arms and eliminate the binding issue.
Second thing - When I was working on the trans arms, I noticed the fit between the rods and the arms was loose.  Thinking of adding some bushings to tighten it up.  Also replacing the bushings in the steering column arms.
Any thoughts?

"BTW - The rods and trans levers are ones I collected over the years as the originals went missing after I installed a Hurst in '68.  I can't say if they were off a standard 3 spd or an O/D, but according to the parts book, only the 2nd/3rd rod is different between the two."

So you have a FORD PARTS CATALOG with both ILL and TXT sections?

Do you have the correct year WORKSHOP MANUAL? There is an adjustment sequence if all linkages/bushings are good.

Trying to bring it back to stock eliminating the floor shifter?

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Car: '55 Crown 272 3 Spd O/D, 6v
I spent the afternoon trying to adjust the shifter linkage.  I've got 1st, 2nd and 3rd working nicely, but run into clearance issues when R is engaged.  The R/1st shifter arm on the steering column binds with the 2nd/3rd arm which is in the neutral position.  I've confirmed - as best as I can, most of these parts don't have numbers on them - that I have the correct parts.  The R/1st arm is the longer of the two and is installed closest to the firewall with the dogleg running toward the front/engine.  The 2nd/3rd arm is the shorter of the two, has a much more pronounced dogleg which is pointed toward the firewall to clear the header.  The rods are installed on the front of both arms per parts illustration.  I assume I have either the 1st/R arm installed backward (correct orientation would be so it points to the firewall) or the rod should be installed on the firewall side.
BTW - The rods and trans levers are ones I collected over the years as the originals went missing after I installed a Hurst in '68.  I can't say if they were off a standard 3 spd or an O/D, but according to the parts book, only the 2nd/3rd rod is different between the two.  Also, if it matters, it's a toploader.
Can anyone shed some light or shoot me a pic of your car, so I have something to go by.
Thanks in advance
Mike