We are getting ready to replace the TRS on my van. I have a couple questions...
1. My haynes manual says to mark the current position before removing old part.
What exactly am I marking?
2. The manual also says to jack up the van & put it on jack stands.
Is it really necessary to raise the van & if so will ramps work or does the weight need to be off the wheels?
3. The part comes in neutral, am I right when assume the van also needs to be in neutral?

Thanks in advance, any helpful hints are very much appreciated.

You will need to have the TRS position to match up with the Gear select.....so YES the correct position would be Neutral for the Gear select.
I note that this matches up with what they say in alldata as well.

As you have the vehicle in Neutral.....put blocks in front of and in back of one of the tires....as well as setting the parking brake......to prevent vehicle movement.

I am not sure why they say to raise up the vehicle......it looks like you do the job from above.
You would remove the flex hose that goes from the throttle body to the air filter box.

Some have stated that they pretty much destroy the old TRS in removing it.......it does not just lift off.
Do NOT damage the shaft that passes into the TRS going down into the transaxle.

We are getting ready to replace the TRS on my van. I have a couple questions...
1. My haynes manual says to mark the current position before removing old part.
What exactly am I marking?


Just mark the old TRS and the metal on the TRS. In case if you want to place back the old TRS, you know in which position it should be. So the old TRS will be in neutral.

You don't need to raise the vehicle.