Nice, thanks for those pictures...that really helps. It was hard to make out the slot in the Autozone photo but I get it now. I will pick those up tomorrow.

It's been 105 degrees the last week here in Sacramento, CA...as soon as it cools down a bit, I'm going to start on this. I spent the last couple days getting air plumbed into my garage, as well as putting in an overhead air hose reel so that should help not having air hoses running across the ground.

 

You might want a looonngg extension for the bellhousing bolts (~32 inches)
Remember where the wires are routed as well as numbering the connectors, you'll have a lot more than you're used to! haha

 

Also good to know...thanks. I have maybe an 18" wobbly extension. so I'll grab a longer one as well.

 

Just a suggestion : Don't mean to Hi_Jack this thread , and this is only my opinion...But if you love you're truck and you want it to last longer , I would upgrade to a 04'~05' Hemi Motor and ecm. 03' was the first year ..By 05' they worked most of the bugs out..But you'll also have to change over from ecm+tcm~to just ecm..But the tuner options are better , and deleting the tcm gets rid of one more thing that might go wrong..
Check out the pro's and con's before the swap. You might not want to put a 03' motor back into you're truck..

 

All great info. myself and a buddy have just about completed pulling a Hemi from my 3500 1 ton that ran perfect untill hot then oill and rad fluid mixed.Blown head gasket.Too bad worked really well on short runs.But as i pull a trailer and excavater with this truck .Engine swap.I found the fluel line tool that is the actual tool type,useless,but the plastic set worked perfect.Don't waste your money on the tool.The engine leveler is also useless and we snapped a bolt off the ground wire on head.Use a washer to fill space behind these bolts for flush mounting chains or L-bar that attaches to engine leveler.The bolt behind air conditioner got missed and broke mounting part.The plasic intake was easily removed make sure all bolts five each side come completly (wobbly Lose).Lifts of easily.Just so much easier with it off.To use the lever the top of plastic intake was in way.A quick trim with grinder will save you from cracking or putting any chain pressure .We did this.The engine mounts can be removed easily and i recommend removing both of em and hanging new engine over mounts then attach the 2 bolts to block then lower engine a bit then slide main engine mount bolts that attch to the welded mount on frame.It is so much easier than damaging firewall or wiring.All bolts can be reached around bell housing with wrench or socket.No long extentions needed.The exhaust manfold bolts if bad heat the nut with torch first it will save breaking them.A good penatrating oil soaking worked for us.Nothing worse than torching off nutz and boltz.We ended up using a 2" rachet type strap that wrapped around back of engine around to top and tied off then a clevice was used to attach to hoist,chains and bolts attached front at alt bolt left side and comp bolt hole right. The leveler worked well for instalation .We also sandwitch bagged every nut and bolt with label.Also tagged every sensor /wire ect with masking tape and felt pen.We took out a 289,000 km engine replaced with a 120,000 km engine.Make sure with 3500 series that at least a 2500 goes in for a swap or you will have issues.Hope this helps someone.Peace! On a side note,because aluminum and iron like to cause a binding type of corrosion,we tried several types of penatrating oil around bell housing,but it would still not seperate.Im not a fan of prying or chiseling aluminum,but if you hammer in razer blades around top of bell housing.then use a map gas torch not oxy acet,get an old cndle scrape some wax in the 2 pins that join engine to trans then heat with torch not long maybe 5 seconds at most,wax will transfer around pins and your corrosion problem is on it's way to being solved.take a putty knife or a paint scraper type heavier gauge than a thin type hammer this in and walla engine split from tranny.Believe me it was seized together like nobodys business.Again hope this update helps some one.Sorry for the hijack.