Hi Bob. I agree with your note on the photo of the oil pump. Taking a couple of minutes to drop that section of exhaust pipe from the manifold to the first bolted flange by the master cylinder, will give you some much needed space for your hands and tools when removing and installing the pump.
If you don't already have it, below is a clip from the manual. Paragraph E-92 may be of interest. You can install the oil pump without removing the distributor, but getting the pump gear to slide up and mesh on the camshaft in the right position can sometimes take a couple of tries and a bit of patience (and holding your tongue in the right position
). If you are able to reference the position of the slot when you remove the pump, it will help to index it to the right position when re-installing.