Try rotating the shifter platform a little to the front of the transmission and see if that helps. I'll send you some instructions on the re-sealing of the input retaining collar. It's easy to do, however, the key point is not the remove the input shaft. It's a bad thing, I did it once with a TKO-600 and the 15 or 18 needle bearing fell into the transmission case. When I called Tremec, they had a really big laugh when I told them what I did. Not funny, I told them, but i turned out fine in the end.