Alpha One Stern drive won't remount ???

[kwagner1]

Greetings - i reently fixed my Mercruiser 3.0L engine that had a broken starter bolt. I was able to use a Heli-coil to fix it. I also replaced the gimbal bearing while the outdrive was off since that also fell apart when the drive was taken off... MY PROBLEM? Well, the drive will not slide all the way into the bell housing during re-installation. I've checked the shift shaft alignment and i think i've gotten them right. I can get the drive to slide back in up until the last 3/4 of an inch. ANY IDEA WHY THE OUTDRIVE WON'T SLIDE IN THE LAST 3/4 INCH? It's exactly 3/4 in each time - i've pulled the drive and tried it 3 times with the same results - stops sliding in with the 3/4 inch gap between the drive and the bell housing. This is my first time attempting to do it myself - so any help is appreciated!!