Replacing the transmission shift actuator motor...

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Needing some help here. My 2014 Ford Focus has a transmission issue. No matter what gear you set it to, it is always in neutral and the engine just revs. Took the car to the dealer which replaced the TCM and that did not fix the issue. They checked the shift motors and asked to replace them at a cost since they are not covered under the extended warranty. Declined the work, bought two OEM shift motors online and moved on to do it myself. The upper was making a weird noise as if it was stuck or something so I proceeded to replace it first. Upon removing it, noticed that it was spinning freely in both directions (unlike the new one). Tried to put the new one back in and then I had issues. The shift motor pinion connects to a small gear inside the transmission. That small gear has to right dead in the center for the pinion to go in. Somehow it is to one side a bit and the shift motor just sits on top. Any help would appreciated !

What makes this problem better or worse?

Transmission stuck in neutral