The engine and transmission have parted ways

Since the electric version of the car won't have engine oil to leak all over, the parts are now at their dirtiest. So except for the trip to the car wash before I started, I've been cleaning by using the exposed skin up to my elbows to get the grease off bit by bit as I work on the car. This has been slow.

I spent a good hour wiping off the thickest grease and it started to look more aluminun colored - a big change since my head gasket has been leaking for years.

After it was cleaned to my exacting specifications I raised the motor up with the hoist, supported the transmission with blocks of wood and removed the last two bolts holding the two together. Separating the engine and transmission by myself at 11pm with the transmission on wood blocks wasn't a great call. I unfortunately don't have any pictures of this ingenious setup because I was too worried that if I left the garage something would fall, and I didn't want to bend the shaft coming out of the transmission. But all's well that ends well and I don't think I broke anything. Here's the final result:

On a side note I had a stunning discovery last night - Harbor Freight Tools Inc. is very seriously concerned with the safety of their customers. That's why they build in innovative protective features into every socket wrench they sell. Every tool that can be used with a cheater bar always has a note saying "Don't use a cheater bar, it's dangerous." Harbor Freight takes the next step in safety. They've designed their tools to disintigrate into powder if incorrectly used. On my deluxe edition it also disabled the ratcheting function. Thanks for saving me Harbor Freight!