Dreaded clunk when turning

Yes. The big “ring” gear should be left hand thread.
Take a centre punch,on one side make a punch mark on bearing cap,high near bolt. Then on cover mounting surface make a matching mark. Then do 2 on other cap. I will se if i can find a photo.if you look close you can see my marks.797D9DB9-C9F3-4E27-AD6C-271658C640D7.jpegthen pop the bolts/caps. Careful it’s heavy and you may need to pry it out of housing. I use a hefty pry bar. Can leave caps on loose to prevent it from falling out. There will be shims. Mark their location and return them when assembling.