WL selector shift fork woes

[hd74cid]

Building a 3 speed WL transmission, 47 on up shifting. Gears and shaft are spot on and I mean tolerances are by the book but the shift (selector) forks are driving me insane. I even tried setting it with a 41-46 shift drum to no avail.

N-2-3, 3-2-N works beautifully but it won’t quite go into 1st. There is a dogleg that pushes the shifter clutch into the spacer not giving full travel.

I’ve set up the forks several different ways by different write ups and YouTube videos. Same results. It seems the fork needs to move into the finger follower and that’s with no shims. No more adjustment. Here are some pictures. Please assist me in what I can’t wrap my head around.

IMG_2395.jpeg Third gear

IMG_2394.jpeg Second gear

IMG_2393.jpeg
Neutral

IMG_2392.jpeg Not quite 1st

[hd74cid]

IMG_2391.jpeg

Clutch bottomed on the spacer

IMG_2389.jpeg


If you look closely this is the dogleg it can’t quite clear.

Feel free to roast me. I know it’s something simple I just don’t see. Happy to take any abuse that gets me past this. I have been trying to get past this for a week.

[hd74cid]

IMG_2396.jpeg

Sorry. Better picture.

[hd74cid]

Thank you kindly, sir. Pictures I got plenty of. It’s the actual procedure I’m having a bear of a time with. 47> shift drum.
N-2-3, 3-2-N smooth like butta but trying to get to 1st it tries to go to R and this is a solo no reverse. ( see the last picture ) I’m starting a second build to eliminate whatever I can.

[hd74cid]

Aware. Have tried both. See the post where the shift arm is at each detent. It doesn’t get to the detent before trying to get to reverse and locking up.

[hd74cid]

SUCCESS ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Just got off the phone with this incredible guy Ralph Camp. He’s been worrying about my problem as much as I have. He sparked an idea that while talking to him I put my phone on speaker and stuck it in my armpit. I set everything up in third gear on the detent. Set the shift arm where to belongs and pinned the drum.

3-2-N-1, 1-N-2-3. WORKS !

Only then did I look where the timing marks set. Timed for a reverse trans, not to the 3 like everyone and their brother says. I’ll never use those timing marks again.

Ralph said, “Well I told you that you can’t trust them marks”. Love his South Carolina drawl. Seems I don’t need to drive to Florida next week after all.

(Insert happy dance here)