I'm pretty sure the head gasket went out on my 05 Durango yesterday as it started running rough and the engine oil looks like a milkshake and is about halfway up the length of the dipstick.

The SUV has over 257,000 miles on the 4.7L engine and was leaking from other places so I'm planning on just pulling the engine and disassembling it on my engine stand. I figure that'll save me some back pain and it'll be easier to flush the block out. I will send the heads out to be surfaced.

My question is; is there anything I should know beforehand or replace while it's apart. Is it easier to pull just the engine, or engine and transmission together? I paid $1500 for the SUV last winter so I don't want to drown a ton of money into it if I don't have to.
My main goal is to seal everything back up and stop the leaks and make it a little more reliable for my wife to drive. Thank you in advance.