Hi Platypus,

A nice little project you have there smile I've just about finished a SB45 resto myself, and it's been very enjoyable and not at all difficult.

The melted piece of plastic is the thrust pad. I've noticed a few other members have had the same trouble. It's caused by an alignment/adjustment issue with the clutch assembly, which causes friction against the thrust pad, resulting in it melting. It should have some clearance between the pad and the clutch cone. Deejay covers it very well in this post HERE

Here is a picture of my Rover also..

[Linked Image]

Almost all parts are available from the OutdoorKing store and are competitively priced. The thrust pad is available
HERE. The early SB45 thrust pads were made from brass, but the plastic ones are fine if the adjustment is correct. I'm not quite sure what you mean regarding the drum clutch release lever but you can see it in my photo also. If you'd like some pictures from inside the chain case, just let me know. The exploded parts diagram will also help.

cheers2 Michael