Backstory: I installed Spec B aluminum rear wings and new links/bushes in the rear. The driver’s side center/steering wheel assembly was reused. The driver side is the one with the worn steering wheel speed sensor (WSS). The rear center/passenger side bearing was replaced with a new unit as it had been there at least since I bought the car at 190k miles; 262 thousand now. No issues with WSS on the passenger side. The driver’s side bearing was replaced a few years ago (40k mi) and is still good; no play, no noise, smooth rotation. The partition had surface rust on it, but not on the mating surfaces (it was coated with anti-size when I installed it). I’ll unplug it again and see what happens, I guess…
I only had the shaft out for a few minutes and it was sitting on a table so I can’t imagine how the shield would have bent. He didn’t have to force it during reassembly either. Very strange.
Here is a diagram I found on FSM. Circle the important part of this discussion in red.
