Evinrude Yachtwin 4.0

New to outboards I removed the big screw on the top of the upper cover of my Evinrude Yachtwin 4.0 HP Model E4BRHL CDE to visually see the condition of the engine. That apparently was a mistake. Couldn’t get the screw to thread back in. Not realizing at the time that it might be critical (I guessed that it just held the cover in place) I pulled the starter cord all the way out and it will not retract. Later at home, read the operating manual, which said, “SAFETY WARNING: Do not remove large screw from top of engine cover because starter spring will disengage and unwind forcibly when removing engine cover.” Is it safe to remove the top cover with that large screw removed? If so, how is it done?