I get that these things were built to be removed contiguous with engine block, but seems folks here have been separating and removing transmissions without undue challenges - but for the life of me I can't get the damned thing out.

At this point, it's hanging, swinging between pinion into engine at front end and flanges off the bell housing up against firewall - rear end is dropped and free, but the thing wont' drop out.
No, I don't know what I'm doing but rolled up my sleeves anyway, and now up the proverbial creek without a wrench of a clue what to do.
As I have a replacement tranny, I reluctantly cut off the dip stick tube in hope that would give me some more freedom, but didn't help. So at this point, even if I manage to get it out, will need levitation skills to get the replacement back in!

Grease upto me eyeballs for a week trying to get my baby running again...
What am I missing here?
The car is up high enough on 12t jack stands.
made a tranny adapter for the floor jack, but that's fairly redundant at the moment.
Do I need to figure out how to loosen engine mounts? Is that the only way?

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97 RAM2500 Cummins affair. Big longass lifted biodiesel thing. Too big. Too spendy - got rid of it. Sure could pull some weight though.