More progress on the car, 2 steps forward 1 step back. Not only was the rear main leaking but the sump tank emptied itself into the crankcase over the week. It made a real big mess on the driveway as it came pouring out of the bad valve cover gaskets. Ran the motor briefly to empty it, then drained the tank so I could move it. Before I could drop the tank though I had to move the battery. The battery ended up in the forward part of the passenger footwell and I installed the battery cutoff switch while I was at it.
With the battery out of the way I could lower the sump tank about 6" or so. The old bottom mount became the new top mount easy enough but I had to redo the -12 drain line. The old drin line was 4 feet long while the new one is about 4 inches long. It come right out of the tank and right into a bulkhead -12 union with a plug on the backside. It exits in the inside rear corner of the pan down at an angle which should be easy to reach for oil changes. I also lowered the water injection tank for good measure and put it right behind the passenger seat.
After I wrapped up the inside again I replaced the valve cover gaskets and fired her up again to check for leaks. So far the valve covers are dry and so is the interior. If all holds well then she comes back apart for the rear main seal and tranny swap.