throw out bearing replacement

the whole trans comes out, so yes you do drop the h pipe.

Yep, tranny has to come out to replace the TOB. It cannot be replaced by only "backing" the tranny out. Has to come all the way out from the clutch. Yep, H-pipe has to come out, too. It's not terribly difficult, just lots of work and several hours. You will probably need something to jack it back up unless there are two of you to "muscle" it back up. Oh, and be careful, don't let it "hang" on the clutch if you get tired as it's possible to warp the clutch center and get good chattering.

There's pretty much consensus that the Ford TOB is about the best quality.

Good luck.