Dropping an 02's PI engine in a 1997 GT...

I was wondering if anyone here has dropped a PI motor and t45 transmission mounted together? I am dropping in an 02 motor in my 97 GT and I am struggling with getting the t45 to mate with the block. I can get the teeth of the shaft to engage the clutch disk about half way then it acts like its bottoming out leaving about 1-2 inches gap.

I was curious if there is a trick to dropping them in together.....I do not want to beat the hell out of the tailshaft of the trans trying to figure it out


Thanks !!!!

It was a manual trans motor and it came with the factory flywheel.

I did not replace the pilot bearing...from what I have read....all 4.6's use the same throwout bearing. The information I read could be wrong, but I could not find information that shows different pilots bearings being used. The clutch is king cobra. I installed it about a year ago and it only has about 1500 miles on it.
I had considered it being the pilot bearing.....when I changed the clutch out last year, everything went together rather easily....even without a clutch tool.