Is this a bad idea to loosen the bell housing.

Have been removing 308 bellhousings professionally from 308s since they were still built with carbs. Never heard of either method. Never once experienced or heard of difficulty getting one off. Remove the nuts and pry it loose with a screw driver. Its just a bellhousing. It just comes off like one.
Dont make a big project of it and it won't be one.

Why do we keep making this hard?

 

Stay at the fancy hotel and get the fluffy towel.
You can manhandle the intermediate transfercase but for first timer please protect any contact area with towels.
if something slips, wash the towel and your gorgeous Italian castings are preserved

Like Sysiphus, you are making memories!

 

Sometimes I just pull on it. Its amazing what you can do the simple way.

 

In over 40 years I have never once encountered a stuck bell housing on a 308. Are you sure it is fully unbolted?

 

You missed a nut, that would be my guess.

 

There is a nut at the bottom of the bell housing, M8 13mm head, recessed a bit at about 7 o'clock, that is easy to miss. The three starter bolts are also easy to miss. If everything is out, all you need to do is stick a prybar in between the housing and the engine, and give it a good pry. It will slide out.

 

By my count there is 13. 6 10mm and 7 8mm.

 

QED

 

You could try a rubber mallet to get it free.

 

He could try removing all the fasteners first.

 

Oh, it looks like the cover hasn't been removed and the lower gear removed. I'm putting in a new clutch at the moment and following this guide:
http://www.camerafilters.com/ec/clutch.htm

 

Sorry, missed this. Sounds like it's been removed

 

Look below the Trans Input shaft area and be sure to clean away any dirt to see and remove nut
,
Then i use plastic body wedgie tools at increased diamter away from starting to slowly separate.
There is usually adhesive RTV near the shaft area in lower right