Starter gear pin won't fit back in engine case

I removed stator cover to hopefully seal a small leak in gasket. The pin the starter gear rides on won't go into engine case ? It fits in stator cover fine.. WTF? I just took it apart. It's not supposed to be press fit tight? I can't see that. No lip on case or pin just won't slide into engine.. Weird.

Turn the starter clutch gear back and forth. It'll go in. Did you get a new grommet?
Steve

The pin will not go into block with gear out.

Pics?
Steve

Forget it .. Duhhh it had the tiniest brr on engine j hole.. I have no idea how it got there though. Never tried to force pin in. I got it now. Who makes a decent gasket for stator ? This one came from ebay and it's literally paper thin.

I just posted a gasket thread. I highly recommend him.
Steve

Well I didn't purchase from him it was supposedly his brand. It was super thin. Bought from ACPA

I have no complaints with his gaskets. I buy almost all of mine from him. He doesn't carry copper head gaskets or I'd get one of those from him too.
Steve