Clark CFY60 forklift clutch and flywheel removal?

This old soft terrain Clark 6K has been a pretty good machine despite some "Deferred Maintenance" issues.
Unfortunately I got a newer CAT and traded the Clark away.
After learning how incredibly expensive a CAT is to keep running I sold it and made another trade to get the old Clark back.
Naturally the guy who had my Clark for a couple of weeks is the sort who can break an anvil without even trying.

So now I have to replace the ring gear on my flywheel as well as the starter.
Parts were not too hard to find, even found a manual.
Problem is that the procedure shown in the manual is not working for me.
Made the 11" slide hammer to partially remove the input shaft and did so.
Except that I still have a portion of the input shaft clutch spline extending into the clutch housing.
The manual cautions against removing the shaft too far.
But it seems my shaft has to be two pieces and the clutch spline is not being pulled back enough, if at all.
Access to the two lower bolts holding the throw out assembly is nearly impossible, had to ruin a wrench on the bench grinder to have any chance at all.
Manual claims that after the input shaft has been retracted the whole clutch and TO assembly come out together.
Sounds relatively simple, if it only actually worked that way.

Unless I can come up with a way to move the spline out of the way I am back to pulling the engine.
REALLY do not want to have to do that!
Suggestions for what the manual has failed to reveal or instruct will be very much appreciated.

I did look around the 'Web for an old Clark specific forum but did not see any.
The knowledge base here seems to be second to none so giving this a try.

Short update.
With a couple of levers and a large pry-bar I did get it apart.
NOT looking forward to reassembly as I will not have any leverage to push the parts back into place.
Parts are being an issue, so may have to get the clutch disc relined instead of replaced.
Intending to replace some of the current bolts with cap-screws.

And Now trying to put it back together.
Major issue was trying to get the complete assembly to pass through the opening.
Had to depress the clutch and put rubber spacers under the fingers to make it thin enough.
Still was not easy.

Now I run into another issue.
When I torque the clutch cover down the fingers depress too far for the T.O. Bearing to work.
I've loosened the cover and tried again, no change.
Same cover that was in it before.
Flat flywheel was surfaced.
New T.O. bearing has same dimensions as the old.
Decades ago it was not too unusual to shim clutch covers until the clutch was "Broken in".
But I've forgotten how we determined how much shim to use.
This REALLY needs to be figured out without having to pull it all apart again for bench work as this has been the very definition of a PITA to work on.
I could just put some grade 8 SAE washers under the bolts but would prefer a more scientific approach.

Then there is the starter issue which is where all this began.
New starter, new ring gear with same part number as the old.
9T starter pinion gear.
Starter does not spin the engine, but the screech of metal contact is horrendous.
I am assured I have the correct starter.
But I cannot help wondering if the 9T pinion might also come in a larger diameter?
To resolve this I need to figure out how to measure what I have verse what I need.

Old machinery is FUN! <S>

Sounds like the clutch levers in the cover need to be adjusted ...this is normally done in a fixture to get them even......the starter should have an eccentric bolt to adjust pinion/ring gear clearance....tooth end clearance is normally 3mm.

"an eccentric bolt to adjust pinion/ring gear clearance"
I will have to look for that as it seems the pinion teeth may have been skipping over the ring gear.
Fifty years of experience guy is trying to convince me my ring gear is the wrong size.
If it were any larger it would never fit through the opening in the drive unit.

An eccentric bolt is for adjusting end clearance.....maybe the starter does have the incorrect pinion....any number up to 13 teeth is common.....without seeing the machine,I cant say.........Ive fixed a million forklifts ,and certainly dont remember the details of every one...........one thing for sure though.....just because a starter is on an old forklift,doesnt mean its the correct one for the engine.