[Quicksilver]

Usually the reason that engine won't mate to the trans is that the clutch disk isn't perfectly centered under the pressure plate. The transmission's input shaft must go threw the splined center of the disk and then the nose must go into the pilot bearing and the clearances are tight. Your description of getting "1-2 inches" from being mated means the splines weren't even getting engaged.

Basically there are two stages to stabbing the tranny:
- First is getting the splines on the input shaft and the clutch disk to line up. You can eyeball it to try and get them close, but that rarely works. You need to get the transmission into 1st gear so you can turn the CV flanges to make the input shaft spin. Once you have them lined up they will slide together so there is about 1/2" left to go.
- The second (and harder) part is getting the end of the pilot shaft into the pilot bearing. If the clutch disk isn't dead on center when the pressure plate was bolted down it isn't going to go. If the disc is correctly aligned then you often just have to move the end of the trans in a bit of a circle while pushing to get the end of the shaft to find the hole and go in.