hold on Pete, I nay have given you a bum steer about the clutch springs...

The manual shows the use of a plate across the spring as a compressor prior to undoing the nut. I don't recall doing that, but I now have a vague memory that I used a Valve spring compressor to put them back together - I'm sure it was no great drama.

Have you got a large angle plate that you could mount the top of the saddle to?