Technical Steering box

[Berlinette]

Lots of play developed on the steering on our 1967 500F and so I decided to change the steering box which was also leaking. I figured a straight change might be simpler than stripping down the original and replace bearings and seals, etc. Pleased I did, in a way, as I discovered that someone had fitted a box from the later R model with 17 splines as opposed to the 18 spline version which the 500F should have. Car was restored in Italy prior to 2005.

I now have the correct box to be fitted and the correct column for the 500F but the splines on the column are worn owing to the clamp at the bottom of the shaft having to be overtightened and distorted to clamp around the 17 splines on the input shaft to the 'R' box.

Have tried to widen the mouth of the splines at the end of the column but it's not having it and wondered if anyone has a spare steering column available.