Don't know the answer to your questions... but here is a nice picture of the part in question.   Maybe that will help.

Thanks Verslagen and Youzguyz!

Great pic and great thread about the little sucker.  Those are definity the parts.  

I have to re-read about this "keeper" that goes on the inside towards the engine case (it's weird).  Dave figured out a way to fabricate something.  Maybe mine isn't broken if its a 2 piece "keeper".  Not familiar with this....how do 2 semi circles stay in there?

I wish Suzuki would have made this upgraded anti-backlash gear more complicated and challenging!  Now I see why they only sell it as a complete assembled unit, and you DON’T ever want to take it apart.  I’m beginning to see what those that have gone before me are talking about!  Good grief!

Why did I take it apart….  Well, as someone else noted, to remove it as a complete unit, it doesn’t seem like you can get it out because it bumps into the alternator rotor.  Somebody said you can find a recessed spot on the alternator rotor where it can come out.  Not mine, no recess.  I looked for about 30 minutes to see if there was a place that it could clear the alternator rotor and come out.  Nope!  So what does a novice hacker do…?  Hey, I’ve got an idea!  Let’s pop the little circlip out and give everything a good wiggle and pull it out!  Yeah!  That’s it!!  Brilliant!!!  Well, it worked….but here I am looking at 17 pieces to try to put back together.  In 20/20 hindsight, the darn thing probably can come out without disassembling or pulling the alternator rotor.  That last 1mm of the shaft likes to get hung up in the engine case.  Should have given it some more lube and kept wiggling and yanking.  But live and learn!

Dave, if you are reading…. In the photo about to follow this post…. Is this the “2 piece keeper” you were referring to?  Is this an intact part?  I thought I snapped a single circlip.

Clymer Manual just simply says, “remove it”.  They conveniently forget to mention it can be a real SOB to get it to clear the alternator rotor and come out.  They also conveniently omit putting in a “Caution” statement not to disassemble the darn thing!  

That said, Clymer can have a sense of humor.  Somewhere (page 140) they mention putting the crankcase in the oven and baking at 212°F (100°C).  You’ll know it’s done if you flick a little water on it and it sizzles off… They then give a caution statement, “If you use a household oven, first check with the person who uses the oven for food preparation to avoid getting in trouble.” . No I did not just make this up.  Go to page 140. and fact check me!

Wife: “What’s in the oven, Honey?”
Me: “I’m just cooking a brisket, my Love.”
Wife: “Why did you put sauce on it?  Good brisket doesn’t need sauce.”
Me: “Thought I’d try something different.”
Wife: “Ok, but it smells weird to me.”
Me: “It’ll be good.”  (Then I have to go buy a cooked brisket.)

It’s basically a “stop” (or keeper) for the starter gear….  I think…. Freakin’ weird.

Now I see what Verslagen was talking about.  Compressing the whole contraction together to get the circlip on.  This is ridiculous…No wonder I kinda mangled the circlip getting it out!  It’s not just sitting in the channel, it’s also pressed against by the whole sh!t, bang, and kabootle!

With only 1 wave washer stacked in there, you can kinda see the channel where the circlip is suppose to go.  But noooooo…you can’t just put 1 wave washer in there….you gotta smash 3 in there!!

I really appreciate Verslagen’s creative solution.  But there has to be some kind of special wishbone-shaped clamp that vises against the shaft at the other end.  I can see it in my head, but I don’t know if it actually exists or has a name.

Here come the F-Bombs I was talking about earlier!

Nobody enjoys building a bear trap and then stepping in it. We have all done it. And some of us will do it again.As much as that sux, it still feels good working our way Out of it.
Helluva forum,innit?
Congratulations on your Win.
I feel better just reading about it.
In Australia you would be getting
Good on ya, mate!
All around.
We're Not in Australia, so you might get a few
Mehhh responses