@wngrog you got room on that property to put me up in a nice little cottage? Maybe I could be a full time employee, I make quick work of all these transmission and engines swaps 😁
(I can do a whole complete knuckle rebuild including cleaning everything in 6-7 hours too)
That's why i shift them on the workbench after the first half of the split case is installed to hold the 5th-gear housing tight. Did you remove the 5th gear housing to put sealant on the gasket? It sounds like you don't have the lever installed right. It can be kinda tricky