I have read about guys swapping rods over a weekend. It can be done. The guys name is Mr. Bob on the nation. You should contact him.
As far as the tranny goes. Pull it with the transfer case attached. It balances perfectly with it on there. It is real easy to pull and takes probably 6-8 hours and you are back on the road. Just make sure you have a good tranny jack... or modify your floor jack... but it has to get low enough to get out from under your truck.