Ok, onto the home straight. At this point I have only the crank box and bank 2 on the engine stand.
BTW, before this point I realised I had the engine stand mounted across the two halves so I put the engine on the hoist, re-adjusted the stand so it would only be on bank 2 and then removed the bank 1 side. Forgot to mention this, so would have been far less hassle to get it right first.
So removed the end caps from pistons 4-6 and dropped them out carefully. then removed the last long bolt on the Bank 2 side, hooked up the engine hoist to four points on the crank box, lots of prayers and gentle coaxing and the crank box separated from the bank 2 half. Lifted up the crank box (with brown pants) and then set down on a trolley
Had a look into bank 2 half and looked ok, but wait...what the fanta is that in the top left corner, yep a nut, some rando nut, which looks like its been in there a while and defo not looking like its within the engine. I count everything I take off an bag it, so it is possible I dropped something while disassembly but very unlikely.
Next split the crankcase, very carefully. Its not really heavy but awkward shaped. Looking at crank journals and bearings, they were not too bad but not far off end of life.
I will need to take loads of measurements to check the crank to be sure but I was optimistic, then I reviewed my photos and my heart sank.
What are those marks, they looks like metal that has been stripped away!!!!! At this point it was late one night, I had just tested positive for covid and I thought sod that, if the crank is gone this car will be parted out, cannot justify an 5k cost on a new crank.