need help fast!

I'm installing my hurst shifter and the bolt that attatches the shifter to the trans does not want to go back in. I don't want to force it, thats just asking for trouble. Need some advice here, what could be going on. Also, I moved the shifter out of the way and tried to put the bolt straight into the trans, same problem. HELP!

It just gets really hard to tighten, that when I stop. It doesn't look like it going crooked. I put some grease on it and reinstalled. It's not quite all the way in but the shifter does not move around any and the bolt is tight. I'm going to drive it around a little then recheck. My thought that there might be some thread locker on it that stopping the bolt from going back in since there is some black stuff on the end of the bolt. It does thread more than halfway before getting tight though.