No you shouln't have to pull the starter. . The clutch and pressure plate will come out the bottom, then you'll have to hold the new one up in there get the alignment tool started, and then start the pressure plate bolts one at a time, rotate the engine around to get the pressure plate bolts in, and once they are all in go around the pressure plate snugging them down evenly this will require you turn the engine either with a pry bar on the flywheel teeth or with a ratchet on the crank damper bolt of the engine. But don't run the pressure plate bolts down tight one at a time work around in a star pattern making sure the clutch disc stays centered with the alignment tool. it sounds like alot of screwing around, but if it saves the aggravation of the starter and bell coming out it may work for you. Most times you may be able to pull the gearbox "back" and leave it "up there" on a jack and you wont have top drop exhaust either. You just have to clear the pressure plate with the input shaft to drop it out the bottom.
