What richfzs is correct, it would be chattering with a dodgy battery but clicking if you have a dodgy connection. Your best bet is to do what I suggested in my first post, but check all the connections just to be sure before you take anything apart again. charging the battery will do harm, it just rules it out as an issue.
The bearing is for the end of the starter motor shaft to support it when spining the idler gear. When you take off the cover ensure everything is fitting cleanly and all the cogs are engaged. The cover should go back on without much force, just maybe a tap of the side of fist to seat it over all the shafts and dowels.and should be flat agains the crankcase before tightening the cover bolts. What you could check is if the bearing is in all the way and straight by measuring the depth all roud the cover edge and maybe check the old cover as as to how far in the bearing was and measure the depth the bearing is in the new cover.
The bearing is for the end of the starter motor shaft to support it when spining the idler gear. When you take off the cover ensure everything is fitting cleanly and all the cogs are engaged. The cover should go back on without much force, just maybe a tap of the side of fist to seat it over all the shafts and dowels.and should be flat agains the crankcase before tightening the cover bolts. What you could check is if the bearing is in all the way and straight by measuring the depth all roud the cover edge and maybe check the old cover as as to how far in the bearing was and measure the depth the bearing is in the new cover.