I found a softer spring that somewhat fits at my local Ace hardware. The diameter was good, but it was too long so I had to shorten it. (EOM left, Ace Right)
The problem of cutting it short is that I cannot get the cut end nice and flat. Look at the non-cut end or at the OEM spring and you will see how the end of the spring is bend back and ground off. I didn't have the proper equipment to replicate this. So when I put it back into the assembly it sits a bit crooked, it tilts to one side a bit:
Once it's all installed it looks OK, but I am a bit worried about the long term effect of the crooked spring:
So esfoutheen, put me on the list for a proper replacement spring, with nice flat ends. My hacked up one works for now, but I would like to have one that properly fits for the long run.
Bottom line is: swapping the stiff OEM helper spring for a (much) softer one does improve the clutch feel significantly and it takes care of the slack at the top that would otherwise be there when you take the spring out altogether.