[TowerTalk] Screwdriver antenna help Please

[wa9wsj]

Hello Gents,
I'm helping another ham friend with his High Sierra screwdriver antenna repair and have run into a re-assembly problem. The issue is getting the transmitting coil into the end where the spring contact is located. The old spring is not usable, bent and stretched, basically destroyed. Measuring the OD and the spring wire diameter I located a replacement but realized that it seems impossible to get it all together. Is there someone that has fought this problem and succeeded?
The OD of the transmitting coil and ID of the new spring, (when in place), don't match up number wise. But again the dimensions of the old spring that used to work are what I went by to replace it but have this problem now. What am I missing or haven't thought of or figured out? What's the trick to this?
I'm usually okay with repairs but this one stumps me.

Thank!!!

Tom wa9wsj

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