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The distributor really does pull out of the block of a 196 OHV if you simply remove the hold down bracket that is held with one bolt. It is stiff. It pulls out a bit easier with the head off. The head, bolts, and rocker arms/shaft weighs about 80 pounds. If you also subtract the carburetor, exhaust manifold, pulleys, power steering, starter, and generator, I figure 200 pounds can be subtracted from the engine before I try and hoist it out. The big worry is protecting the block; however, since less stuff is dangling from the sides, it is easier to pull it out, as well as lighter. We'll see how this works. The advice I've seen says to keep much of this on the engine. In addition to weight, I'll get about six extra inches to hoist the engine over the front bar, as well as better mounting points.
The book How to Keep Your Datsun/Nissan Alive by Colin Messer / John Muir Publications is a great reference for how to do auto repair and maintenance all the way from how the simple things work to what to ask for when you bring your engine to the machine shop for rebuilding. I got my first copy of this book to work on my first car after selling the '65 Rambler I had in '87. It has the feel and hand-drawn diagrams of the original VW idiots repair manual, but it is a bit closer to the way an old Rambler works. Just get this book, you won't be sorry. There are a lot of veteran tips rephrased for the novice. Of course, if you are restoring any car, you want the service manual; however the Rambler technical service manuals are particularly complete. They don't assume a lot of knowledge about auto mechanics. Another good reference is an old Chiltons book. I have a '64 issue, and reading the tips and procedures for other cars helps understand how to work on my '63 Rambler American, even if the details are slightly different. Finally, the book How to Restore your Collector Car by Tom Brownell has a lot of good tips on cleaning, painting, mechanical restoration, and general logistics.
Save your baby food jars. True, baby food jars will break; however, if you simply put your parts into the jars as you remove them, and mark the lid with a permanent sharpie right away, you can stick them someplace safe. They are a bit larger than the Harbor Freight metal canisters with the see-through lids. I like the HF ones quite a bit, but I foresee an awful lot of little jars, and using my baby food jars will save me thirty bucks or so. I'm imagining what I might do with thirty bucks, and I like what I see.
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