many thanks for all the swift replies.
How big are your hands?
I have honestly never removed a scuttle to replace an HBV. Putting it back on the ground will make everything alot easier to reach...
Get the clips along the hoses and pull the hoses off. Replace the clips with stainless jubilee clips.
Only other advice, is to not stress the hose down to the side of the engine as that will leak and they're almost impossible to find.
my hands are the worst type: large, weak and delicate!
The hoses are indeed secured by proper Jubilee clips and they are far easier to use than the sprung OEM types.
re stressing the hose; I agree totally that's why i was a little worried to follow the other advice to be rough....
As for the picture in one of the posts, that looks like much more room than I seem to have. The hoses will not release from the spigots on the HBV. There is as little space from above as there is from below as far as i can see and the "slack" that one post refers to is just not there.
The HBV is just hanging there and supported only by the hoses, isn't it? ie it is not clipped/secured to anything else?
So, are the "quick release" unions at the bulkhead a no-go?
Taking the manifold off seems a bit excessive: are there any other items or hoses that can come off easily to make more room? what about the tube from the brake servo? Or does another dimension of pain and work await down that route?