Removing clutch cover
 

I've had a new clutch cover sitting waiting to be fitted to my XTR for several months - I scraped the original one a little in a drop last year (brake lever bent into it).
Figured I'd wait until I was chaging the oil, which I was doing yesterday. However having moved everything out of the way, removed the clutch cable (leaving the rod in place) and removing the bolts on the cover, it wouldn't pull off.
I'm not terribly mechanichally minded - is it simply a matter of breaking the gasket seal with a rubber mallet/screwdriver, or have I missed some crucial part of removing the cover?

two pins are also securing clutch cover and gasket together into engine block, making gasket installation more easy ... use some rubber mallet or plastic hammer but not screwdriver ... you'll have to renew that gasket after removal of clutch cover ... pull lever shaft is teeth engaged with the clutch pull rod ... this can do some extra force on tightness of the clutch cover ...

Make sure you remove the water pump there is a hidden bolt behind it. Remove the water pump as a complete unit.

Many thanks both. I'll give it another go.