Pilot bearing question HELP!!

I'm "halfway" thru a 5-speed conversion; that is the AOD is out, and I'm trying to get the 5-sp in. As in, ALL DAY trying to get the #$%! thing to bolt up . The last 1/2 inch just won't go. I've re-aligned the clutch disc, no help. The one thing I'm not totally clear on and none of the manuals help with: how far in does the pilot bearing need to go? I'm using a Sachs clutch set, which uses the typical needle bearing and "adapter", a cast piece that actually holds the needle assembly. I drove it in flush with the rear of the crankshaft, because there's a little lip on the adapter. The lip doesn't seem to stop it from going in a little further, but I didn't want to wail on it either (they're a bitch to get back out!).

Could this be what's keeping it from going all the way? Does the pilot need to bottom in the crank? It's gone in to the point that the dowels are almost into the bellhousing, but nothing I've tried will get it to go the last bit.

Any help GREATLY appreciated!!

The pilot bearing case should go in to that liped edge I have found on some the bearing it self is out to far on the end to the clutch side. The other thing to look at is the input shaft is the clutch disk moving freelee.

Just finished my 5 speed conversion. The pilot bearing needs to be seated all the way. The engine side of the bearing has 2 recesses to give space for van extraction tool. But the bearing itself should be all the way down. I smeared a little grease in the end of the crank to make it seat a little easier. I used a socket the same size as the bearing and drove it in with a small sledge but didn't have to hit it that hard.
With the bearing in and the clutch aligned I wiggled the trans and was able to get it about 1/2 inch away from seated. I used the bellhousing bolts to pull it on the rest of the way.

Figured it out!

(SCollord90's old man here) Figured out the problem... the '90 clutch doesn't use dowels to align the cover to the flywheel. It uses shouldered bolts. As I aligned the disc for the 3rd time tonight, going around the cover tightening as uniformly as I could, I found that the shoulders were shoving the cover laterally as I tightened -- by the time I got done, the alignment tool wouldn't go into the pilot bearing AT ALL! I have never seen a clutch do this. I can see why they changed to a doweled cover in later years. May have to convert this one.

Thanks for the tips tho, I am going to try to drive the pilot in further!

okay wait a minute... i have a 1990 flywheel... the transmission is off a 89 XR7, does this mean i have to get the clutch set for a 1990 bird? thanks...