Ok, I know this is hella old, and I totally forgot about this thread.
I ended up actually doing this repair myself. I didn't do it "the right way" but I got it done. And I was painfully new at all of it.
It involved an impact driver, a torque wrench, and a flywheel puller (which was extremely difficult to use for some reason). None of which I had at the time. The flywheel puller is a specific Honda tool I had to order from the dealer. It takes some force to get that thing off (#23 is the bolt). But I did finally remove the whole alternator assembly that way. And now I can't remember if it was more helpful to have the bike in gear or not. Sorry.
I also had to have someone help me remove the bolts on the back of the starting clutch spring cap (#30 in PDF) in order to get to the springs and rollers. The screw heads were melted so that they couldn't be removed. I didn't know what else to do at this juncture so I went back to the dealership. The parts guy took pity on me and sent me to his fabricator buddy across the street, who welded tabs on those screws so I could remove them. Otherwise I'd be buying a whole bunch of pieces instead of just springs and rollers. But then I had to order new screws and wait for those, too.
The springs and rollers were a pain, too. You gotta be real careful and deliberate with placement or they all fall out. Super skinny needle-nose pliers, and a whole lot of patience, helped. Stupid tiny finicky pieces.
Maybe your repair won't be as frustrating. Maybe you'll get that flywheel off no sweat. Mine kept spinning, so I jammed a rag in there to keep the starting motor chain from moving, and got it so stuck in there, I had to burn the rag off with a torch. And almost set my bike on fire in the process. [Yeah, I know; I'm a spaz.] And then I get to the whole bit where the springs and rollers are housed and I'm clearly not getting those screws off because there's a big gob of melted metal on top of each screw head where one would usually insert a screwdriver. Maybe yours isn't welded like that and you can just unscrew that sh*t. Maybe get all the bits and pieces in advance so you don't have to keep waiting every time you order something else. Then you can totally do it in your garage. And likely in one or two days tops, too. What a concept.
Seriously, this is a tedious repair that only masochists (yes, this includes bike builders) and mechanics should undertake. Otherwise, farm it out so you can get it done and just go ride. Fer reals.
SIDE NOTE: I long ago sold that Rebel, only to replace it years later with a newer model that I use to teach people how to ride. I now have a 2002 model, and I am *still* doing all my own repairs on it. Yes, they're just as tedious. No, I'm not a mechanic. Yes, I am that stubborn. (Really, though. Ask me about my recent clutch replacement job.)
