did you put the chainring or BB axle on backwards?
Thanks for the suggestion,
The BB was not removed - only the LH cup. The RH side was left alone, cleaned and lubed while in the bike. As for the spindle - it was easy to tell which way to insert it - the chainwheel side was quite a longer distance from the race to the end. I actually thought of that and checked to be sure. Dang it, this is a true tough nut to crack ...