Can’t get down rod onto clutch pedal

Start at the top and work your way down.
My guess is your Z-bar is misaligned.
If your car was not originally a manual-trans car, then the outboard Z-bar pivot may not be in the exact right spot.

The Z-bar should be parallel to the ground and at 90* to the centerline of the car. The downrod should be in the center of the firewall window laterally,and stay there, and the Z-bar pivots control that. The Z-bar bushings should be anchored at one end with a wire-retainer such that the bar cannot move laterally. Only after you get that corrected can you install the adjuster into the TO fork.