[Closed] Old Kona, new SRAM shifters, front mech nightmare - is it me???

Hi, either the internet is full of mendacious toads or I have truly lost the plot and my ability to fettle is confirmed as useless. I have an old skinny tubed Kona Fire Mountain. Project 2 forks and canti's etc. I though I'd give it a treat and bought some new shifters. Sram X7. Very nice. Except a total palaver since! Didn't know that the rear wouldn't work with XT - I do now and we have now got an X5 mech on the back. I also can't get the front to shift properly although all the forums say that SRAM shiftrers and Shimano Front Mech's are compatible. This is a really old XT and try as I have, I can not get it to cover all three rings. Can do either granny and middle or middle and big ring. Is it or is my shiny sram just not cut out to cover 1994 XT? Please help!