Grrr. I hate posts like this that make me change my mind. Considering I need to pull the radiator anyway, and I may even do the clutch master cylinder at the same time, and I need to replace the power steering bracket, I may just pull the engine.

While it's out, I can also get it washed and I can fix some of the stripped exhaust and EGR threads too.

 

I would recommend just dropping the transmission, it can be done with a regular floor jack if you do not have a tranny jack adaptor. Separating the t-case would be the way to go for this method, just have a friend handy to pull and install the tranny and t-case back. I wouldn't separate them if I had a tranny jack though.

Just my .02, there's a lot more work pulling that engine and if you do go that route its sort of a pita to break the torque of the flywheel bolts (especially if they have been loc-tited) when the engine is in the air.

I used a skateboard and some tie downs to get it just about where it needed to be, using the tie downs to hoist it up, then had a friend help me with the final heave to get the input shaft in.



If you pull the engine, you need a bar to lock up the flywheel to loosen the bolts

 

Now there's some good reasons to just yank the motor.