By the time you get the crank out, you would have easily pulled engine and tranny, done the work, and put it back in.

The tranny CAN be removed with the engine in the car, but getting it back in is so much hassle that it's easire to yank both -- when you've done it a coule times, it only takes a couple hours. The really fun part is getting the engine to tilt down far enough in the rear to get the upper tranny bolts back in -- this is why, I think, they were missing on my brother's 300D -- engine was rebuilt (very poorly) and they probably did the engine and tranny separate, not knowing they come out together.

Engine and tranny come out as a unit -- remove cooler lines, fuel lines, electricals, pull rad (not necessary by the book, but why buy a new rad?), vent AC (if it is charged, (you may be able to unbolt the compressor and leave it in the car), undo the shifter linkage, unplug the starter inhibitor switch, and hook up a hoist -- should be lifting eyes in the proper places or you can bolt it on. If you have a good cable system, you can loop the cable under the mount arms.

Lift engine off the mounts, lower the crossmember under the rear tranny mount, and start lifting and tilting engine/tranny. Must come out at 45 degrees, lift until the oil pan sump clears the radiator suppprt, then push car back and tilt tranny up to clear.

In is the reverse, it's really very easy.

From here, set engine/tranny down and separate them, vastly easier on the floor. Hang engine on a stand, flip over, and go to work.

Set engine on TDC compression stroke on #1 as you will have to retime it -- you will most likely have to break the chain to remove the crank. Oil pump is chain driven, too, on turbos.

Have fun!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!