Engine Engine Removal Help?

Is this a manual or automatic? If it's a manual leaving the tranny in can make it challenging to get the engine far enough forward to clear the input shaft. And a whole lot tougher to mate it up when you're putting it back in. If it's an auto then you're good to go after you separate the converter from the flexplate, as Ragged mentions starter needs to come out if the tranny stays in (otherwise that spacer plate behind the flywheel won't budge)..

Depending on why I'm pulling the engine (if I'm tearing it down anyways) I find it more manageable to pull the heads first. Just makes the whole package smaller and lighter. And gives you better options for where to mount the chain.

Murphy's law says you'll always miss something - a wire, a strap, a hold-down of some sort. So just lift slowly and check frequently to see what's trying to come up with the engine.