I ended up realigning. Not sure if it that was the problem - it still took a lot of wrestling.

I'd break down the stages as follows:

Nothing engaged > 20mm
Splines engaged (tailshaft no longer turns by hand) ~ 15mm
Shaft in pilot bushing, but engine dowels not in place ~ 5mm
Success - 0mm

Dattos are too small for more than one person to work on anyway, unless you're working at opposite ends or sides. Most times I've removed and reinstalled the engine/gearbox I've done it alone, it's just about quicker that way than 2 people.

So was there an alignment issue or did you just wrestle it in? They need a good hard shake to get them to cooperate.

congrats on the gear box install. maybe it happened cause there werent too many cooks in the garage?

and levey- eat his sandwhich

You have issues Mik, I might know somebody that can help, you as long as you can accept that you have issues; his name is Bubba, tall dark and not so handsome, should be out of jail soon;)

I finally got the bastard on, flying solo. Onto the next snag!

dont listen to weekend 1000 levey just likes to watch him grease shafts.

i remeber having to jack the a15 on an angle when we put the gearbox back on that. thought that was cause it sat 20 to 30 mm to high on the mounts

2 tips that have worked for me


Jack up the front of the motor slightly to improve the angle
and
thoroughly clean and grease the locating dowels

another way that might work which i have tried in the past..

loosen the pressure plate so the clutch plate can "just" be moved by hand.

slide the gearbox in all the way, pull it back out and tension the bolts/nuts.

just something else that might be worth a try

I can get it so the splines engage (tailshaft wont turn any more) but still wont go all the way in. That's telling me that the clutch is misaligned..

Guess I'll try again with the supercheap auto generic clutch alignment tool. I'd have tear apart the 4 speed box to get a spare input shaft.

i learnt that from watchin gpiggy, but still dont have an old input shaft an L series here. got a old tail shft end for the back of the box. put it in gear and spin it like ivan said. ive seen it work before too.

maybe time to get a new assistant