[Excaliber]

I have a pilot BEARING not a bushing in the crankshaft. The tip of my top loader is a VERY tight fit into that bearing. No amount of 'pushing', 'jiggling', 'turning' etc etc will make the trans tip go in the last inch or inch and half. I have to use longer trans to bell housing bolts and slowly methodically pull the trans into place. The darn trans input shaft and the bearing fit is almost like a light 'machine press' fit. Then I remove the temporary to long installation bolts and use the standard trans to bell housing bolts.

Oh sure I tried polishing the heck out of the input shaft tip and the inside of the pliot bearing as well. The biggest fear is making SURE your alignment is good before cranking down on the bolts and 'drawing' the trans in. Also you have to use extreme care to do all four bolts evenly or you could break an ear off the trans itself.