As T-Cut says it could be the seal. It's normal and quite easy to replace when doing any work in this area.
If you look directly at the shaft from underneath it will be clear how far it can slide into the gearbox.
Tapping the far end of the shaft should supply enough force to drive the shaft home without damaging anything. ( using a large soft headed mallet. )
Don't forget to make sure the circlip is correctly located
and has not become loose and that it's not the cause of the re-assembly problems.
|