Carving head trouble

[fuzzyturns]

For the last 3 years I have used the Axminster heavy duty drive unit with a reciprocating carving head. However, recently the +front cover (right behind the chuck) has come loose and I can't screw it back in, as the inner sleeve with the other part of the thread has retreated into the outer casing. Details are visible in the attached photos.
I've contacted Axminster, but they don't have drawings and their advice was to buy a new carving head (£54). I was wondering whether anybody has experienced a similar problem and could give advice on how to get the inner sleeve back towards the front?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Has there been a change of staff at Axminster because just lately they don't seem to be very helpful? Fuzzy may I siggest to try and find a local engineer, he may be able to make a similar threaded tool that will enable you to pull  it out to the end. Of course it may well be at the end of its life depending on how hard you have worked it, in which case £54 ouch!!

[fuzzyturns]

I managed to fix it myself. I screwed the chuck cover back on and then inserted a suitable size spanner between the body and the chuck. Then, with care and not too much force, I could slowly ease the entire assembly forward so that the inner sleeve almost lined up with the outer casing, and at that point I was able to screw the lid back on. Seems to work fine (fingers crossed).

[Bryan Milham]

The power of ingenuity and the need not to spend money always work to ones advantage.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

The power of ingenuity and the need not to spend money always work to ones advantage.

Oh I am all in favour of that. Well done Fuzzy.

[JohnHewes]

Can you get some Loctite on it to prevent it happening again?

[fuzzyturns]

I'd rather not do that, to be honest. This would make the inside mechanism completely inaccessible for any maintenance or repair.