Ax5/15 ball bearing retainer?

I just finished an Ax-5 swap in my jeep, but when I was readying it to be put in I noticed there is a ball bearing that the end of the clutch fork makes contact with when the clutch is depressed. It sits inside a small hole in the bell housing, and it fell out. I cleaned up the hole as it contained some dirty old debris, then applied grease to it and put the ball bearing back into its hole, but I noticed there is nothing really holding the ball in there. I assumed when it was inside the vehicle the clutch fork must prevent it from falling out, but now that the tranny is in, there is a strange unidentifiable clunk when i start the vehicle, then a clunk-clunk-clunk when driving. I assumed it was a u-joint, and sure enough the front driveshaft u-joint was hosed, but the sound continued. Then i noticed we had removed an exhaust clamp and didn't put it back, so i fixed that, but still the sound continued. Then i remembered the transfer case linkage hadn't been put together and it could be rattling. I fixed that, but still the sound continued. Then i remembered the little ball bearing, and am now wondering if there was supposed to be a retainer of some kind holding the bearing in, and i didn't have it so the ball bearing had fallen down into the bellhousing and was now rattling around like a can of spray paint. Anybody know if this is the case? If it is, i've had far too much b.s. in this project and won't be taking it back apart. it'll either keep rattling in there or blow something up. hell with it. my jeep's been out of commission for a month. i'm driving it tomorrow either way. if something breaks then i'll know what it was.