WE D1 Base Question

[bigdaddylove]

Hi,

I recently purchased a nice D1 base for a restoration I am working on. Once I received it, I noticed that the cord restraint is slightly more narrow than the one in the base it is replacing. I also noticed that the brass slider in the neck of the crappy base is missing from the better base. However, the switch hook seems to work fine without.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a special tool that will open the guts of the neck?

The first photo is the old, crappy base; the second is the nicer base.

Thanks,
BDL

[warpwr]

I'm sure Western Electric had a special tool for that.
I made one out of an old 1/4 drive deep well socket that fit on there over the shaft.
I ground it down so that two tangs fit right into the notches in the nut and then I could unscrew it with a socket wrench.

Those parts are aluminum I believe and like to freeze together.  
I put anti-sieze on the nut when I put them back together.

In the background of this picture you can barely see a couple of the handset cradles out of their bases.

[GG]

I wonder about this: wrapping those threads in plumber's teflon tape (very thin teflon without adhesive) or putting a small quantity of oil on them before reassembly, to prevent them seizing up or freezing together again over the years.  Anyone have an opinion or experience with that?