Mike, if I were pulling the engine out, I almost always pull the trans too. It's just been easier in my experience to get the pilot bushing and clutch splines all jiving together out of the car. I've pulled many transmissions for repair or clutch jobs, and it's hard enough stabbing them under the car, I can't imagine trying to hit the trans with an engine on a one arm bandit at the correct angle. However, I'm sure it can be done, and there are more than a few ways to skin a cat...
Just my .02
I know I'm going backwards, answering questions/comments from last to first, seems like the thing to do. I put the thing in originally as a complete assy. I forgot when I pulled the heads last week that I had done that. The passenger header is such a pain in the ass to install (because the bolts have to go in underneath the tubes) that I used the factory studs and nut to install that side. I could get to all the nuts, ( only took about,...Ohhh AN HOUR!) but I couldn't get the damn header back off the studs because it was so close to the strut tower. I had to pull the head w/ the stupid-assed header still attached, and wrestle it off the head. I tried to remove the studs, but I only got one or two out.
(them bitches were loctited in the head by yours truly.)
Why would I do such a dumb assed thing?? Because every time I took the header off when I was building them, the damn studs kept coming out like a bolt. I decided to "fix" that.
I was pretty pissed when I thought I was gonna have to pull the whole engine to get that header off. I had to stop throwing stuff and think.
Bottom line, that header is reason enough to reinstall the whole engine/ trans as an assy again. But this time, I'll use bolts, and throw those stupid studs in the trash! (if I can find them all after throwing them as hard as I could out the garage door ) Probably might have hit something inside and ricocheted,then there'd be another paint fking up stupid story to tell.
Looks like I'll keep it simple and reinstall the whole mess again.
As for there being more than one way to skin a cat? I'm sure the cat will be glad it still has it's skin ( it's getting cold these days).
