MKII Starter clutch and starter removal

Worse story... The factory service manual tells you to use a ball bearing. Stick it in (rather than the bolt) and hit the thing with an impact driver. I have a "Thunder Gun" impact driver with about 700 ft/lbs of torque and it was on full blast. I didn't think about the SIZE of the ball bearing and drove the ball bearing in which got caught on the inside thread. I called my machinist buddy and he about laughed himself silly. I was able to cut the ball bearing out using a carbide tipped dremel tool... the kind used to cut out old grout between tiles. It took several hours and it must have taken a full hour to get a little dimple started on the ball bearing. What makes this especially fun is the ball bearing is round and the bit keeps slipping off towards those threads. I did manage to not touch the thread which would have been REALLY annoying as the thread is in the end of the crank and if damaged, I suspect a new crank would have been in order.

OH MAN THAT SUCKS! i realy have been lucky then. i need to take mine off again soon. i want to put harder bolts in the starter due to more cc's. while i have the crank out. I hope mine works out better than your.