"You need to lower the front exhaust pipe from the manifold,"

--I've done quite a few of these and never had to drop the exhaust. Plus, if you do, you'll also have to loosen that cat to back pipe ring and I've never seen that go back so it doesn't leak. You'll end up getting it welded out of frustration. Let sleeping dogs lie. I either wrap one hand up over the pipe and the other up behind it. You'll be restricted to using about three fingers on each hand. But it can be done.

"bend the trans cooler line out of the way slightly,"

--Never.

"break off the aluminum "fingers" from the old switch"

--Those fingers are part of a ring that slips under the jam nut. I've always just flicked it off with a fingernail. Suppose you could use a pick if its stuck. Never had to break anything.

"and sand all the rust off the shaft, then douse the shaft with penitrating oil"

--I mean.... I guess... if it's really rusted. But that whole chingaderas is high up in a hot and dry section...

"and after removing the bolt,"

--You mean, the jam nut?

"carefully pry it off the shaft rocking it back and forth."

--Again, it's always just slipped off for me, w/o much persuasion. You start prying and the shaft might be damaged, I would think.

"There's a tool recommended for aligning the new switch so without it, you'll just have to guess. If it's out of alignment, you'll have problems starting it in P or N or the rev light may not come on in R."

--The tool is nice to have on FWD Volvo's, but kinda useless on RWD. You need to bounce a flashlight off a mirror at just the right angle to see the marks. Then you have no hands left to do anything about it.

I would start by re-using your unbroken finger plate to get you in the neighborhood, leave everything loose enough to turn and set the trans in Reverse. Then turn the PNP slowly until the Revers lights come on. Then tighten just enough to hold it.

Go up top and see if the car starts in P and N and NOT in any gear.

No? Go adjust a bit more.

Yes? You are done. Tighten it up and tie wrap the harness out of the way.