Pulling oil pan on 273

Maybe the pan doesn't actually have to come right out. Maybe it's only leaking in one or two areas. Maybe you can just drop it down and let it hang there. Maybe the gasket won't tear. Or Maybe you can just slide a new one in there. Maybe you can drill an access port through the K for the tricky-to-reach front screw.
But taking it down does allow you to clean the sludge out, pop out the dinged in parts,and reshape the drain area for better drainage,make sure the oil pick-up is correctly positioned, and clean (as in not all plugged up with pieces of factory umbrella valve-seals),and inspect the two front left rod bearings.
But yeah, in-frame; the steering parts need to come down. You will need a Pittman-arm puller, and to drop the idler arm. Then just drop it down and push it out of the way. The pittman-arm has a master spline,so putting it back on is not a big deal, and the idler arm goes back on any old way. To keep the engine up, I put a block between some the pulley, and the front lip of the K, or the floor. Then you can pull the jack out. I notch the 2x4 so it will stay there if I have to rotate the crank.Make sure the fan does not get into the rad!And as said;remove the dist-cap. I have done it several times from on my back. I didn't find it particularly fun, but it wasn't that bad. But that was in my 50s,lol. Now I'm almost 64, so I wouldn't be that excited about laying in my back. Actually, the crappy part would be getting up off the floor to visit the tool box,every time I forget a certain tool,lol. On a hoist, for me, it would be no big deal.
Whatever you do, just don't put plain old cork in there, or you will just have a do-over, soon, and glue the gasket on.