Can you expound in the issue or show a photo of the problem at hand?

 

I’m not seeing how to attach photos? This is my first time using this forum.

 

also, I don’t think these are load bearing. But the transmission is supported. I don’t think it has to do with how they’re lined up at all

 

the bottom bolt mates fine.

 

Can you relax the pressure on that red strap? The strap may be pulling the engine slightly out of line with the transmission. Are the other bell housing bolts in ? I recently did a clutch on a ford ranger. I could not get one of the top hard to reach bell housing bolts (last one) to start no matter what I tried. I put everything back together took it for a test drive and then revisited that pesky bolt. At that point I was able to screw it all the way in with my fingers and then tighten it with a wrench.

 

Yeah I tried supporting it and not supporting it. It changed nothing. The other bolts are in. These definitely don’t carry any load. I’m baffled. I put a 4 foot bar on it and it just won’t budge. They have to be lined up fine because it threaded a good few rotations and the tip of the bolt in poking out

 

Loosen the other bell housing bolts, don't remove them just loosen them so there is some give to the mating surfaces of the block and bell housing. Then try the starter bolt again, first.

 

After re-reading your original post I think I would chase the threads in the block with a tap. Harbor freight probably has a cheap set of metric taps or thread chasers.