removing gearbox inner cover

Does anyone have any tips for breaking the seal between the inner cover and the gearbox shell with the box still in the bike. I have tried tapping the kickstart shaft with a rubber mallet but to no avail, I am unable to separate them and no where to insert a suitable lever as the primary cover is still in place.

The dowel pins are at 3 oclock and 11 oclock - a rubber mallet near there is about the only safe option.
Until you break the bond of whatever it was glued/sealed with, its just a matter of working at it.

All 7 nuts are removed, aren't they....

AND, marked and removed the clutch operating mechanism.
And removed the mainshaft nut.
As per the workshop manual...

Rohan covered it and seems will never work but eventually does. Each time I swear i'm gonna JBW a stud or two to pull it next time in, always a next time. I've made long wood dowels to reach back side from the other side and got seal to break enough i could get in two tiny thin carpenter crow bars to work opposite areas and not just rock it back and forth about forever. The tight fit and square on install and removal makes ya proud of the British engineered quality revealed. About the only place heat ain't gonna help unless a blast furnace with fire hazard to heat that much metal to matter. In some cases nothing for it but get er out on the bench.

Try giving the clutch a whack,to move the mainshaft toward the timing side.

Thanks for encouraging me to persevere,I finally got it! Used a Stanley knife blade at the join, then after eating my spinach (or drinking the Australian equivalent which comes in brown bottles) one hand on the timing cover for support and working the top of the gearbox with the other back and forth finally got discernible movement then it was just a matter of time (and a couple more brown bottles). Both covers had been assembled without gaskets, I'm thinking about using gaskets to assemble but does that mean I have to shim something?

Orginaly they had gaskets and I always fit them so you won't need to shim anything.

Ashley

I feel for ya bro.
Mine wouldn't budge with rubber mallets and access with wooden drifts is still a bitch. I was successful by carefully placing a thin 2" putty knife on the gasket edge, and driving the putty knife between the cases. As I recall you can get to the cases and have room to strike the end of the putty knife at about 4:00 and 7:00. The idea is the putty knife is about the same thickness as the gasket and wide enough not to divot to cases. Don't drive the putty knife much more than 1/4" into the case, wiggle it back and forth then work your way along the seal, wiggling as you make progress. slow, gentle and don't nick the edge of the cases. Mine cases didn't split apart until I had worked both sides like this. No damage.

Follow up: mind the dowels. you don't want to chisel one of those with the putty knife.

Are you all missing something? Whack the clutch and it will drive the cases apart.