I have put the collar on and taken it off several times and it does lock in place very well. I now know what it looks like when it is on properly. I also checked the bearings and the locking mechanism on the collar to make sure they were not damamged and actually do "lock" into place. It seems the only damage was cosmetic. I did not want the piece bne tso it would not fit properly. Thanks for the advice and I will check it before each mowing to make sure it does/does not need to be replaced. If anyone is interested--my Kubota dealer quoted me $136.00 for the locking collar only(no shaft).