Help on reattaching gearcase on E225txcda/shift rod won't go up without stopping

I just finished a waterpump replacement and now trying to re-attach gearcase on motor. When the shift rod gets to the top of the tower, it jams and won't go into hole at bottom of powerhead. It seems to jam and won't make the final turn to match up with the hole. Any suggestions or techniques to get past this issue. I've tried turn it from the bottom with pliers, back and forth, but it won't budge forward enough for the hole to capture it. Very frustrating!

Are your lower motor mounts swelled up causing misalignment in the upper area ??

Boobie said:

Are your lower motor mounts swelled up causing misalignment in the upper area ??

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Finally got it to go in, but I think your question was zeroing in on the problem. It seemed that the distance that it had to go up was restricted by the motor being lower due to age of the mounts, so it would jam before allowing the zig zag part to clear enough for the tip to go forward and enter the upper hole. If I were to say it was "pain to put in", it would be an understatement! I'm exhausted as is my son-in-law, who does it for a living, just on newer motors. Thanks for you reply and question. I think you were "spot on" as far as what was causing the problem.

Had it happen to me where the lower mounts were bad. A real B$%^*h to get the lower unit back in.

I wish that I knew what technique to use to make it go in so that I could post it, but I really don't know exactly what the trick was. It suddenly moved up and forward enough to clear after many tries and poking with a long screwdriver. I did use a long nose visegrip to turn it at the lower section in order to keep it straight and oriented correctly. I also marked the shaft on the side towards me with a white metal marker for reference. Otherwise, all I can advise is to be persistent!