
Socket on an extension slipped over the ball did the trick. All gears engaging and disengaging properly.
I locked the layshaft to 1st and 4th, then torqued up the input and output nuts to 150 lbft with the “big wrench”, and everything seems to be working ok - no binding Baulk rings etc.
Curiously, the donor cone gearbox seems to have shorter studs for the end cover than the B type, so I’ll have to grab some longer studs or UNC bolts, but that’s no big deal.