Just thought I'd put in some final comments for anyone else that hasn't taken on a big project like this. After finally getting everything back together and running, there is no doubt you have to pull the motor. By the time you take off pipe, re-tap all the threads on head,pipe,case to remove crud. rebolt everything, pulling the engine was easiest. For newbies that haven't done it yet, it might seem scary, but you are saving time and back pain in the long run..