New Member with a puzzle

[Copperhead]

Thanks for the add! I am from central KY. I am having issues with my case reassembly. This motor (H model) has been apart for 6 months and I have forgotten some details since then. It has apart due to leaking crank seals. New seals and oem bearings.
Problem is I think i have my transmission gears in the proper position (never removed gears from shafts)but will recheck when I get home. One problem i am having when pulling left case half onto the right half with tusk crank puller and torquing all case bolts the transmission becomes binded. I have a kawasaki service manual but feel it is extreamly vague. I have watched a few videos that i got from this forum on the 13th page Videos | HBR
https://haroldbawlzangya.com/videos/. I feel like i may have benifited from the videos because i was unsure about shift drum position and whether that would matter? Could that cause binding?