I cut it anyway because ... write-off test car.
Getting it in from underneath, cutting is required. Getting it in whilst bolted to the engine and the front bar off - cutting not required. I had no clutch/pressure plate installed, and I think install from underneath with that in place cannot be done. So put the right clutch in first....
And since we're in now, how does everything else line up? Well, pretty ****. I can't see how this could have been done without removing and re-welding the gearbox rear mount. The Factory Jag/Mondeo mount comes awful close, but misses by about 20mm laterally, but because the box is bigger, it is too close to the cross member and the existing mount location - in fact I am struggling to get any more than about 4mm clearance.
The rear support upright is cut to match the front. The marks you see that are higher are meant to be where I measured the 'top' of the trans mount to be.
The Jag bracket is hanging down, bolted to one location. It is offset from the chassis location by a fair bit in this image, but it closed up when I lifted the engine/trans combo using the support bar that's still in place.
No space remains - do I have to 'remake' the chassis mount location?
Lukeyson