Dry sump 308GTB bell housing removal

In the process of changing the clutch on my UK spec dry sump 308 GTB. Oil drained, transfer case cover off, lower and middle drop gears, circlip and all bellhousing nuts and bolts removed without any problems.

However, there is a rigid oil return pipe (that couples, via a length of flexible hose, to the bottom of the oil cooler) running along the lower front of the engine with a securing flange welded to it that is normally secured under the front-most bellhousing nut and is making removal of the bellhousing impossible. I cannot see where it comes from, presumable the oil pump, or how to release it so I can get this flange out of the way. I'm extremely loath to try bending it out of the way as the last thing I need is a fractured oil pipe.

Unfortunately Birdman's superb description was presumably of a wet sump car that won't have had this pipe.

Has anyone encountered this issue and how did you resolve it? All suggestions gratefully received.

Paul
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Panic over. The other end of the pipe goes into the front of the oil pump and should be removable with the aid of a 36mm open ended spanner as its just about accessible. All I need now is a 36mm spanner..................

 

In spite of my best endeavours, the lower bearing is stuck on the gearbox input shaft and won't budge or 'walk-off' as per Birdman's procedure.. Unfortunately the bearing fouls on the bellhousing casing which cannot be removed with the bearing still in situ so has to be removed first along with a circlip. I've managed to jack it along the shaft a little way but there's nothing behind it push it along as far as I can see and no means of gripping it to give it a pull.

Short of destroying the cage holding the rollers so I can get a purchase on the bearing inner sleeve to pull it off, and even that will not be easy, can anyone offer a better, less destructive way of removing it? I've tried local heat to expand the sleeve but so far this hasn't helped.