Hi anthony,
Rushing jobs causes mistakes to be made, even if you have done a particular job before......
That sump pan looks rusty and damp, does it leak oil ??
Make life easy for your self by removing/undoing things that will get in the way and hinder you.
The engine does not look well supported to me, exhaust strained as well as RADIATOR HOSES etc......
Support the engine via the suggested U shaped support affair that butts up to the row of front and rear sump bolts, at the gearbox end, that a jack or wood block tower can support. This way there is no chance of the sump floor being "pushed up " and pressing on the fragile plastic oil pick up pipe, which is easy to crack and break, causing rear loss of oil pressure ( sucking in air ) with no oil pressure light illumination but engine damage !
Remove very front section of exhaust from equation to give better access for better engine support.
Gearbox......you have wood.......see your picture of the gearbox.......
You see the two square windows on the bottom of the bellhousing, and, the u shaped *cut out* in the casting lug of the gearbox, and, the relatively flat underside of the gearbox...ideal opportunities to exploit a support device/cradle that can be used along with the jack to support, remove to the near side, and drop the gearbox out of the way...
As said, remove everything out of the way that is going to hinder you...shafts, electrical and hydraulic connections, rad hoses ?????? ( dont break the radiator but straining hoses....) exhaust etc......
The gearbox will not be super heavy, but, an assistant ( human or otherwise, like a gearbox support device and jack ) will be very very useful.
Find out exactly at how many points the engine is actually mounted to the body, at each end, and in the middle ??????
A poorly support engine will result in stuff getting strained resulting in breakages......
Don't rush. take your time, hare and tortoise...
Been trying to find the old sump to show u shaped engine support device...that straddles the sump with vertical bits resting on the row of front and rear sump bolts, being height controlled via a jack, or wood stack and wedges........the device only contacts the sump via the sump bolts, so no risk of damage to that delicate plastic oil pick up pipe........
back later......
