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The only way might be to get the engine over as far as possible, which is highly questionable, to the opposite side. That would require pulling motor mounts and brackets and having the engine suspended on a lift. Try searching, seems like one or two people tried and it’s a major pain without pulling it all out. The ideal way is to drop the entire subframe with engine out the bottom and then pull the manifold off. You pretty much need a lift to do it that way though.
Because you need enough clearance to get past the intake mounting studs and extract the APV barrels out . Be advised that the tabs where the barrel valves secure to the actuator arm are very fragile. Some of the parts are not sold separately by Mazda. So be extremely careful. Not really recommended to even try it in the engine bay. They’re about 5 or 6 inches long or so.
The only way might be to get the engine over as far as possible, which is highly questionable, to the opposite side. That would require pulling motor mounts and brackets and having the engine suspended on a lift. Try searching, seems like one or two people tried and it’s a major pain without pulling it all out. The ideal way is to drop the entire subframe with engine out the bottom and then pull the manifold off. You pretty much need a lift to do it that way though.
What about disconnecting the left engine mount, sticking a small jack in the engine bay and moving the engine over to the right?
Let me clarify that this only applies to a 6-port engine. The early 4-port auto trans cats don’t have the APV system.
Otherwise, you’re kind of on your own to figure out how to do it. You need to learn how to search, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say you need to learn how to be patient spending many hours searching and reading.
To remove the lower intake manifold you must remove the engine from the 8. There is no other way around it. I've been through it. The engine comes out in a couple hours at most. Nothing terrible to do and you can ensure everything is cleaned properly before reassembly.
I concur w/Team and Mazdaverx7... this is NOT a six in one hand, half a dozen in the other thing. Sometimes there is no shortcut to simply doing what m/b done. I could post up more pics..., see my build thread "Curts Gr8t 8 Turbo Build" thread ~post #90 if you like,...but IMV the advice given and pics already posted here s/b sufficient to validate that attempting to remove the LIM w/ the engine in the bay, if even possible, is a fool's errand.
To remove the lower intake manifold you must remove the engine from the 8. There is no other way around it. I've been through it. The engine comes out in a couple hours at most. Nothing terrible to do and you can ensure everything is cleaned properly before reassembly.
This is the argument i have been hearing when i start searching the website and forums.
I can link you to a few people who say its possible by jacking the engine to the side.
Here is a video of some random guys claiming to have removed it by removing a stud that was in the way for clearance.
To be fair, it's far easier to just remove the engine. I can have the engine out and on a stand in about 2 and a half hours. And that's working slow. In my personal opinion, it's easier to remove the engine rather than manipulating the engine in the engine bay and jacking to to one side to remove the lower intake manifold. I understand it's a short cut and it may work, but for me I'd rather do it the right way and not risk breaking anything in the engine bay by manipulating the engine. Just my opinion.
To be fair, it's far easier to just remove the engine. I can have the engine out and on a stand in about 2 and a half hours. And that's working slow. In my personal opinion, it's easier to remove the engine rather than manipulating the engine in the engine bay and jacking to to one side to remove the lower intake manifold. I understand it's a short cut and it may work, but for me I'd rather do it the right way and not risk breaking anything in the engine bay by manipulating the engine. Just my opinion.
I concur with this. Just pull it. Its not super hard. That being said I've only done mine a few times by dropping the subframe, Which is incredibly easy. I tried to cut corners with my BNR turbo install. It hands down took way more time by not pulling the motor
Sometimes there is no shortcut to simply doing what m/b done. I could post up more pics..., see my build thread "Curts Gr8t 8 Turbo Build" thread ~post #90 if you like,...but IMV the advice given and pics already posted here s/b sufficient to validate that attempting to remove the LIM w/ the engine in the bay, if even possible, is a fool's errand. 
