HELP! Countershaft gear blocking input shaft bearing

[d-tree]

My manual says to drop the countershaft assembly out of the way so that the input shaft (with bearing still on it, from what I can tell) can come out through the top of the tranny. It drops down, but is still blocking the hole by about a sixteenth of an inch (or less, it's driving me crazy).

Anyone familiar enough to tell me what I'm doing wrong?

'69 F100, 360, 3.03 RAT on the tree

[fmartin_gila1]

pull countershaft completely out to the rear so the cluster gear can drop to the bottom of the case and you should have enough room.

Fred