Getting to the main input bearing, Ford Major 4000

[Fordly]

So....without warning a terrible racket starts up after going into reverse and releasing the clutch pedal. After splitting the tractor I ultimately find that there are a couple of bad bearings the worst of which is the main input shaft bearing. Nearly ready to disintegrate. All was going reasonably well until I got to the last leg of the disassembly. Well, at least what I thought would be the last leg. Now it appears that I will need to split the trans from the rear end in order to go further with the repair. As you can see from the pictures there's a gear blocking the way. while it slides easily enough there is no room available to slide it off of the shaft. Can anyone out there tell me if I'm on the right track? Thanks in advance for any help or advice.