Removing my 273 engine
The center link isn't absolutely necessary, but, it sure makes things lots easier. Pretty simple to pop it loose from each end and get it out of the way. Otherwise the bell housing wants to catch on it. Also, think about how you want to seal the end of the tail housing. An extra yoke wired in place works good. Otherwise, remove the one you have on the driveshaft and plan on putting a new one in. Even after draining the transmission, there's usually some residual 90W that you just can't remove that will drip on your floor. A baggie with a bungee will work decent too if there's not much inside.