Time to tackle the brake band pistons: These can be a bit tricky. On my transmission they are held in place with rings that fit into grooves. This is a simple and perfectly functional design, but unfortunately it causes some frustration when the seals or piston ring of the B2 piston in particular gets stuck in them.
The trick to deal with this is not to fight the inevitable. Let the rings or seals get stuck! You can then carefully remove them from the grooves in the housing by gently prising them with slithers of yoghurt pots: Just cut lengths of yoghurt pots or other stiff plastic packaging and carefully file the edges before you use them to prise the seals or rings from these grooves.
To remove the securing circlip ring from the caps that cover the three brake band pistons push them into the gear box and carefully pick the locking ring from the groove. For the stiffer piston covers you'll probably need to use a woodworking clamp to help you.
Once all these external attachments are removed you can flip the transmission on to its back and remove the oil pan, filter and valve body.
By the time I had removed my second valve body I found it easiest to disconnect the input valve on the valve body from the gear selector mechanism by turning the gear selector lever to the park position (towards the front of the gearbox – where the torque converter was) and a bit further so that you can unclip the connection.
When you have removed the valve body wrap it very carefully in a clean plastic bag. Keep this bit clean – really clean – especially if you don't plan to take it to bits.