Preparing To Drop Transmission

I prefer to remove the fenders and grill then pull the whole power pack out with a cherry picker.

I try to avoid as much under the car work as I can because it hurts too much due to my age and condition.

With everything out it is a good time to clean up the engine bay and I can work on the transmission and transfer case on a work bench. I will put the engine on a stand to replace any leaking gaskets, or other work it may need.

I have this to do on my CJ2A which needs a rebuild on the transmission and transfer case.

 

I guess this depends on what you have available for space and equipment. My "skyhook" is a tractor and I do not have the head room in the garage to lift out a power train with it. Living in northern Maine, as I get older I am very hesitant to leave things unassembled outdoors. I've done my time on my back under vehicles in the rain and snow, and would like to avoid it going forward. I do have a real transmission jack, and four good jack stands to securely raise the jeep off the floor. Similar to James and Tim E above my preferred method for CJs is to remove the driveshafts, fan and tailpipe, loosen the motor mounts and then chain the crossmember to the transmission jack and lower everything until the crossmember is free of it's brackets. Then I block up to the bell housing or oil pan, unbolt things, and slide them down and back. This lets me roll the whole greasy mess out from under the jeep and then raise it up to bench height to work. Leaving the crossmember on the jack allows me to work through things completely before re-assembly. I can check the shifters, linkages, clearances and all gear operations in all of the combinations. Then I can put a final coat of paint on before I put everything back under the jeep.
I'm 66 and I can pull this off by myself. Having a good transmission jack available is the key. (also makes pulling and replacing axles much easier).