Just an update. I used a bottle jack under and wood under the front of the engine and was able to jack it up more than enough to clear all of the suspension components with the timing gear. Thanks to Twisted6 for talking me of the shortcut ledge and walt1940 for giving me a fresh and obvious idea that I didn't think of myself in the midst of all my frustration. You guys here are a pricless wealth of information and I would have made some costly mistakes in the past if not for this forum.
Ian
