Been there, done that- - - - -that's why I suggested the hammer tap on a steel rod. I use a piece of 1/2" round stock with a flat tab ground on the end as a priming tool, and it also makes a good driver if the intermediate shaft needs a little massaging. Have fun with the rest of the assembly!
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!