The strap wrench was the answer. In fact, it was silly how easy it made the job. The collar and cover are now back as far as they can go and the torque tube is raised up as high as it can go and supported with a 2x4 between the frame rails.
The difficulty that I am now having is getting the transmission to slide far enough back to clear the clutch housing. I don't need much more room, but it seems like I might need some. I'm thinking of lowering the torque tube to clear it out of that space and then raising it again, once the transmission is out. Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions on getting the transmission clear of the clutch housing?
On a positive note, the oil that I drained from the transmission was black, but had no signs of moisture in it nor could I find any metal shavings. Based on that, I don't plan to open it up. Just clean it up and reinstall it when I'm ready.
