Redwoodkiwi, you'll come across a lot of moments that seem discouraging, I'll tell you right now... keep pushing through it man. Theres a workaround for everything. I'd suggest getting a good set of ez outs. The set Irwin has at Advanced is great, and they'll remove hex sockets like its nothing. It's how I removed my oil cooler/engine mount bracket as well as flywheel studs once I grounded the heads off. Keep pushing through and dont be scurd to bend that oil feed line next to the starter.

Cant wait to see this beast running. Also curious as to how that 4:1 diff is going to come into play in terms of hard driving. If you need any parts or specific bolts such as the intake manifold ones don't hesitate to reach out... I have 2 complete BCY engines in my garage!