Bucket seat release

[dart6]

It seems someone has put the release lever on the wrong side of the drivers seat when they refurbished them. I've removed the circlip but it doesn't want to come off the shaft. It makes me think the end of the shaft has been mushroomed.
Has anyone else come across this?

 

[70 sublime]

How do you know you that you do not have two passenger side seats in your car ?

Driver seat always wear out faster as they get used more and someone just found a match for it from another passenger seat ?

 

[pnora]

I also do not see the spring.