GX610 crank shaft to flywheel key

[abarone300]

Hello guys, I'm trying to remove the flywheel, because I suspect something may be wrong with the key. My motor won't start (it turns over though). Somebody suggested il might be out of timing, and to check the key; sometime the timing goes out of wack because of a broken key (checked fuel delivery and spark; both ok!)
This morning I proceeded and attempted to remove the flywheel, but could'nt (removed the center nut) and tried to use the extractor; nothing, the flywheel doesn't budge. I noticed two things: 1) I don't see the square key in the keyway (normally it protrudes 1/8" out, I see just a wedge shaped object a 1/4" in the keyway, 2) I also wanted to ask if the three philip head screws screwed in the flywheel ( to the side/distanced equally around the flywheel) might be the reason I can't pull the flywheel out, are the three screws there for a reason, are they in fact holding the flywheel secured to crank shaft, or serve for an additional way to balance the flywheel? Thanks

 

[abarone300]

Forgot to ask, in the same engine; the rotation of the engine is clockwise, correct? Why is it, that when I rotate the crankshaft manually in a counterclockwise direction I can hear a slight noise in the valve train (I took off the left valve cover to make sure the noise is coming from there) but when I rotate it back in a clockwise motion the noise stops, is this normal or there is something wrong and it needs to be addressed?