Ok, my Grandfather stated this: There's nothing that man-made that can't be taken apart.
I l
Have lived by that all my life, but at times things baffle me.
This one of those.
The spring is being used as a coupler between the motor and shaft.
How do these come apart without wrecking the spring?
Spring might stay with the fitting and come off/out with it.
The lower piece looks like pot metal...But has indents for a spanner wrench? Wouldn't want a very tight fit that way.
No view of what is below.
Almost expecting a set screw , and a flat on the side to hold it.
A countersink would hold a tapered tipped screw on a round shaft too...
If the shaft is not riding in a bushing , a bearing is likely.
How it is secured might reveal more of how the throughshaft is held. Maybe.
It is in an electric fireplace.
The motor turns the aluminum widget around.
I tried to turn the shift while hold the spring on the motor end.
Thinking that it might be just a real small center through the spring when relaxed, but they unwind it and stick on the shafts and it the pressure of the recoil holds tight.
But it didn't unwind, it just spun the motor gears when I let go.