I pulled a manual tranny at the Pick and Pull yard. The car was blocked up on 4 stands consisting of a rim flat on the ground and another rim standing up on top of it. There was plenty of room to work.
Don't you have to drop the crankshaft to replace the top half of the rear main seal? That sounds like a challenging job that is not worth doing unless it is leaking.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13