Series 3 Steering column mystery

Hi. I'm refurbishing my steering box at the moment but there seems to be a part on my steering column that i'm not seeing on other peoples or on the how to videos on youtube. Here's some photos. It's a small collar and it's stopping the top bearing race coming off. It's got to come off as it's got some bad corrosion. Any thoughts. Thanks.

It is the inner of the bearing that sits at the very top of steering column with spring pushing down on its other half.
Cut it off.

Heat it up, its only thin so it should move then. I wonder if its worn right through so it looks different?

Blackburn said:

It is the inner of the bearing that sits at the very top of steering column with spring pushing down on its other half.
Cut it off.

Click to expand...

That makes sense. I found other bits of that bearing inside. Even got a bit stuck in the end of my finger.

rob1miles said:

Heat it up, its only thin so it should move then. I wonder if its worn right through so it looks different?

Click to expand...

I'll do that. Someone has given it some stick in the past and the column is already quite gouged. Even I can't make it too much worse.