Transmission leak woes - what to expect?

[karbon]

I've always had a TINY leak in one of the seals in my transmission. As in so small that I'd only have to fill it once a year. Recently it's been accelerating, so it's time I tore into it. Logic dictates that the engine is to be dropped in order to properly inspect the transmission. I had a shop take a look at it in case it's something they could fix quickly, as downtime is a big issue and was hoping it'd be something small.
The leak causes tranny fluid to drip off of the crossmember and transfer case, so it seems to be at the rear of the transmission, possibly at the output seal to the xfer case. One of the guys at Shep Racing said that that leaks tends to be the driver's side halfshaft seal. Either way, over the weekend I'm going to borrow or buy a cherry picker and dig into it.
What can I expect and has anyone had to do this? Am I wrong in assuming that one person can diagnose and fix this over the weekend? I'm fairly inclined technically, but I've never messed with anything regarding to the drivetrain. Any special tools I need?

 

[1gfromND]

Hmmm sounds very familiar to the problem my buddy had on his FWD laser. Well first things first I dont think you should pull the whole motor out..I mean thats a little over kill dont you think? Try just droppin' the X-fer case down and take a look at the seal on the tranny its a good chance that its the culprit. Try that and post back. Sam