Kickstart

Hi all
I I had completed the build of my 76 900 motor and was readying for startup day. I cleaned well but did not disassemble the kick start shaft assembly so it was dropped into place while the cases were being completed. Once the motor was in the frame I installed the coil spring and the cylindrical tube into the cavity and then attached the cover with the dowel pins and new gasket. Yesterday I started the motor which was quick and sounding great other than a grinding behind the kickstart housing, gear to gear chatter which would only go away when the clutch was pulled in. Have I missed something obvious in the assembly? At this point the thought of a teardown frightens the helm outta me as I was almost ready for insurance and a ride. Any advice would be much appreciated.
David