98 Engine Swap -- Tips wanted

I need to replace my engine (see my thread about no compression due to #4 valve seat). I can get a nice one at the junkyard for $500 with 51K on it, but I'm reading the Ford manual on engine removal and I'm getting very depressed. I'm wondering if I really need to do all that is listed in the book, or can I take some shortcuts.

Two major items in particular:

1) Do I really have to blow down and remove the A/C compressor? That adds quite a bit of specialty work for the reinstallation!

2) Do I really have to drain the transaxle and remove the shafts and then lift the transmission and egine as a unit?

Any other tips would be appreciated. My experience in the past with other operations on other cars says that the factory manual often is a little overambitious on interferences that need to be removed.

Thanks,

Harry