packrat79

A while ago I removed the tranny from my '89 Civic to repair the clutch, and while it was removed I decided to have a look inside. I considered a full rebuild, but decided against it due to the time and cost, plus the fact that the transmission still worked quite well overall. But putting the case back on is proving very difficult, thanks to the little retaining clip that goes on the end of the countershaft. I managed to get the case off without too much difficulty, but I absolutely cannot maneuver the clip into place during reassembly. I wondered if I can just remove the clip altogether - from what I can see, it serves no purpose except to prevent the removal of the cover. Of course I might be wrong, and that's why I'm asking first.
Thanks.