[ithacaartist]

If you can get the nose of the lever's shaft started over the spring, it should fit. It is more usual than not to encounter great resistance from the spring. The shaft must travel along the same axis it winds up on when in place. The spring might be small, but it is stiff--big-time. Before removing any material from the spring--with a fine diamond needle file--it's best to first give the installation your best efforts while the frame is clamped into a padded vice, and some padded small vise grips to hold the lever firmly enough to control its orientation positively. Banging the shaft into place with the padded mallet won''t work at all unless it remains lined up!