Whether removing the Crankcase-Oil Pan from the Bottom... or Pulling the Engine up and out through the Engine Bay... the Cross-Member acts as a barrier to movement in both cases and must be removed. Supporting and lowering the back of the Engine-Transmission can give you a bit more access to the Two Top Bell Housing Bolts that are very hard to reach.
Likewise, if you have already removed the Engine Head for any reason... accessing those Two Upper Bell Housing Bolts from the Upper Firewall area can make life much easier as well. Then you can thread in Four M11 X 2.00 Used H-10 Metric Hex Head Bolts (aka Cap Screws) through a Lift Chain and easily balance and Hoist the Engine up and out after that without having to worry about elevation clearance.
If you have not as yet done so... Visit this Link and Download a Complete GM Digital Shop Manual for your Year/Make/Model SUV (
... Courtesy Our Benefactor... @Mooseman) as there will be some additional ASE GM Mechanic Quality Help with all the work involved:
********* Please note that the FireFox browser has issues with the password handling and that these downloads are not under HTTPS, flagging them as security risks. Chrome and Edge work fine once you allow the download. ********* ATSG 4L60E Manual 4L60E Rebuild Manual 2005 GMC Envoy XUV...
gmtnation.com