Two steps forward, three steps back
I'd got the bottom half of the engine back together and reached the point of fitting the outer gearbox cover. I'd noticed that the spacer on the output shaft (the large one between the big bearing and the sprocket) was a bit marked where it runs in the oil seal but knew that I could flip it around so the other end would run in the seal.
'Knowing' this spacer should just slide off I hadn't tried to remove it when the shaft was out of the engine. Don't know why I didn't.... errrr... mistake.
It was stuck fast. I tried holding the output shaft and turning the spacer, soaked it in penetrating oil for a couple of days (the tilting engine stand was handy as I could rotate the engine so the shaft was vertical) and finally got the oxy-acetelene on it. Nope the bugger wasn't shifting
So I gave in, split the engine cases again and got a really big tool out of the cupboard.
Mistake #2.. I didn't cover the bearing assuming I could just replace it. Nope they're NLA.
Mistake #3.. trying to cut the spacer with a normal HSS tool. It chipped instantly as it tried to cut the outer surface. Out with a 'Crobalt' one that I'd had in the armoury but not used before and that worked just fine.
I took the meat of the spacer off and then made teeny tiny baby cuts for the last millimeter and the remains split off.
Curiously there was no obvious sign of why it was stuck fast on the round bit of the shaft. Perhaps it was on the teeny bit of the splined area but that section fell apart first so there wasn't much left to examine.
With the spacer gone, the bearing pulled off the shaft by hand and after finding out they're NLA had an extensive clean in the parts washer. Dried out and with a light coating of oil it sounds and feels OK so it's going back in with some Loctite Bearing Fit on the shaft as there's signs the shaft has been rotating inside the bearing inner.
All I've got to to do now is sort out the four APE H/D studs that unscrewed from the upper case (nut Loctite beat crankcase Loctite) and I can put it all back together again.
Here's to forward only steps from now on.