Thanks PL1. I downloaded that disassembly procedure from the wiki some weeks ago--its very thorough.
I managed to get the rings out & back in again--twice since I last posted, & without the use of pliers or a screwdriver. As u suspected, I've already completely disassembled this thing, replaced the microswitches & reassembled the handles (a terrifying experience involving searching for launched tiny springs--twice). Then I thought to look at the maintenance technician's manual for the yoke (I think I downloaded it from the KLOV site) & noticed the thoughtfully included very thorough assembly/disassembly instructions (they even detail what size of wrenchs to use) & started following them (sigh).
First problem I encountered was that the shaft didn't want to slide back through the bearings. I forced it with a rubber mallet, got the springs & large gear on, & pushed those troublesome clips back on with a handy wooden tool designed specifically for that job...not! (seen below in the pic...yes, its the end of a wooden paint brush). I then realized that that shaft had to rotate fairly freely, & it certainly wasn't. I then remembered the tool I'd used the 1st time I'd removed those clips--a hook tool, shown in the pic below, with a cloth over the assembly to prevent launching. Prying against the shaft, they came out easily (yay!). I tapped the shaft back out, then went at the inside of the bearings with some emery cloth until the shaft rotated smoothly in them. Then I cleaned the whole thing up thoroughly, oiled the bearings as per instructions in the manual, slid the shaft back in, replacing the gear & springs along the way, & remounted the clips. Yay! Next step--replace the screw mounting the gear to the shaft. But where the hell was the threaded hole in the shaft?! Finally I found it--on the end opposite where the gear was. The manual does NOT warn u to make sure that hole is on the same side as the gear. Get the hook back out, pull the clips off again, slide the shaft back out, reverse it, slide it back in, remount gear, springs, & clips--all without incident. Screwed down the big gear. Whew!
Then on to the 1st potentiometer. That went fairly smoothly. I noticed right away when I'd tightened the nut that held it to the bracket that the lock nut had fallen off during installation. So I took it back off & put the washer where it belonged. & there was a tense moment when I thought my hex wrench wasn't going to reach the screw used to mount the 14 tooth gear to the pot shaft. But it went on in the end. 12:30--got to b up at 7:30--time for bed.
So heres a pic of the assembly at this point, with my 2 handy clip removing/remounting tools. Something with a flatter end than that paint brush would have been better, but the fact that it was wood & thin enough to slide easily between the big gear and the bearing gave me some confidence that if something did go wrong, I had an improved chance of not damaging that precious gear.