[Healeys] Help! (Steering Box)

[Bob Spidell]

Listers,

Looks like I've goofed somehow.  I was finishing installing my new 
Lempert steering wheel on my BN2 and had a problem getting the stator 
tube back down through the steering box (I think it was catching at the 
'stud' on the end plate that the olive gets bolted-up to).  Anyway, 
after no success finagling the tube through the hole I made the idiotic 
move of pulling the end plate off the steering box.  I've done this 
before to apply some sealant to the plate and shims to stop leaking, but 
this time the lower bearings and their race fell out.  No amount of 
sworking can get the bearings and race back into the box far enough that 
the plate can be pulled fully down, even with a 1/32" or so of shim 
packing; if I pull the bolts down the steering locks up.  I've studied 
the shop (Moss) diagram, and there are matching bearings and race at the 
upper and lower ends of the box; thinking the upper might have slipped 
out of place I pulled the top cover off the box, but I don't see 
anything loose or out of place.  No matter how carefully I try to pull 
the bolts down on the end plate I'm having no luck getting the lower 
bearing and race into the box.  Anybody have any ideas?  Been stuck in 
this predicament before?  I've tried moving the wheel from lock-to-lock 
and centered and everywhere in between, but it seems as if the steering 
shaft has moved down a 1/16" or more, making it impossible to get the 
bearing and cup back in sufficiently far.  Oh, and I did all the 
tightening and adjusting of the steering wheel before I pulled the cover 
off the box so I don't think the installation of the wheel had anything 
to do with this.

Who can bail me out of this predicament?  If I don't get this resolved, 
my beautiful new steering wheel will be a static display only :(

Bob