Ok, I've just picked up my bike where it has been stored for the past 6 months or so. Now I am ready to install a new stem, but a little confused exactly what I have to remove from the handlebars. At this point I realize that a removable faceplate would be nice, but I have no such luck.

So I know I need to remove the brake lever but what about the bar end shifter? Is it possible to slide it through the stem? Honestly I have never removed nor installed bar end shifters and I really don't want to take it off. Then again this could provide and important learning experience.

At the same time I am worried that my brake cables are not long enough to remove the brake without redoing the cables. Yeah, it's not that big a deal, but I keep thinking that simply switching stems shouldn't involve so much work. The other fear is that this stem won't work out and I'll have to do the entire process again

Unfortunately there is no other way to do it. I recently had to change quill stems and it is a huge hassle. I was able to get it done with only removing tape, lever, and bar end shifter from one side of the bar. Unhook your brakes (if you have cantilever) and that should give you enough wiggle room to get by with only removing things from half your handlebar. After a quill stem change you'll be wishing you had a threadless stem, I know I was.

+1
Since you don't have to disconnect the shift or brake cables, it is a fairly easy job. As said, you do need to release one of the brakes to get slack in the cable to be able to remove the lever.
You can replace your stem with a 1" quill stem with a cap for the handle bars, but the ones that I have seen are low quality and ugly. But this doesn't matter to everyone.

I always try but never succeed in not disconnecting my brake cables from teh calipers. It just ends up being necessary. If when you put it all back together you need a little more inner cable length, you can shorten the outer cable a little. It depends on your outer cable routing, if the curves are as smooth and loose as they should be. If you have a big cable length problem, you will just need new inner cables. Probably the outers won't need replacing.

Don't trim the brake cable ends too short at the calipers.

Removing and reinstalling barcon shifters is very easy.

Removal:
Shift to the position where the gear wire is at its slackest
Unscrew the large screw with a coin or very wide screwdriver
Dissassemble the lever parts.
Unscrew the recessed hex key screw inside the shifter BY TURNING IT ANTICLOCKWISE!!!! (5mm hex key).
Pull it out when loose

Installation:
Remember to turn the hex key THE WRONG WAY to tighten the shifter. Do not tighten excessively, I believe I have heard reports of people stripping the threads, but may be wrong about this,

This is good easy experience to gain, My barcon recently loosened on the road but it's an easy fix... just remember to turn that screw the wrong way

I have used soapy water on occasion to help handlebars through the stem, but don't know if this is "correct".

EDIT: I'm referring to the Shimano Dura-Ace barcons... other makes/models I have no experience of.

I guess it comes down to whether you change quill stems on an infrequent basis or do it as a part of your work day... can usually swap a stem in very little time and did a stem and bar swap yesterday in about 30 minutes.

I don't mind them and really find they add some security in that a person does not have to remove 2-4 bolts off a faceplate to get my bars and hardware... this happens a lot.

I think everyone else pretty much covered the how to.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Sixty fiver, I guess I would agree with you, and after doing it this time I am sure that next time I could do it in at least half the time. Figuring out where the bolt was on the brake, and realizing that I had to disconnect the brake cable to get to it took some time, but the rest went well.

In fact, I did try to turn the nut on the bar end shifter the wrong way, and I was thinking that it was unnecessarily tight. Luckily I didn't strip it or anything like that, and finally got it out. Next time I will shift to the slackest position as it was a little hard to reinstall.

Hopefully this stem will work out! Previously it had the shortest nitto tectonic stem on it, and now I am more stretched out and don't feel as cramped. I'll see how it works out tomorrow when I have to go for a longer ride than just around the block.