If you have access to a 2 post lift (maybe a buddy with a shop or hobby shop) you can drop the motor and trans out the bottom in one piece, still connected to the k-member, in about 1.5 hours. Once its on the table, you can do everything you need to with no car in the way... than about another 1.5 hours to put it back in.
I dropped a motor and trans, swapped heads, cams, VCT lockouts, clutch, installed LT's and slammed it back in the car, all in about 8 hours. With the exception of a few wires, fuel line, AC pump, etc, there was almost no bending over the fenders to work on anything. Almost all the work was done from under the car.
You couldn't pay me to do the work that needs to be done to pull it out the top. If you are going to... leave the trans where it is.