AOS - Can it be replaced easier with lines attached?

I will be replacing the AOS on my 99 cabrio. I have easy access to the two mounting bolts and the bellows clamps at the right rear of the engine, and I've read the AOS can be removed from under the engine on early 996's by lowering the engine a bit. However, all the instructions say to replace the AOS by making clearance on top of the engine, and it is a big job. Has anyone ever tried to replace the AOS by disconnecting the lines that connect to the AOS at their source, then remove the AOS with the lines attached, from under the engine. Could the lines then be attached to the new AOS, and the lines snaked back to their source when the new AOS is slipped up from under the engine?

I replaced the AOS on my 99 about a month ago. I recall at least one of the top hoses was plastic. Don�t see how it would be possible to remove the AOS from top or bottom with any of the hoses attached. I pulled mine out from the top, BTW.

Nope...I did mine with my engine out - easy peasy! Only problem was, I forgot to hook up the line that runs across the top of the engine to bank 2 before I put the intake plenums back on... Big mistake I tried all different ways of snaking that pipe though there with no success... Intake plenums had to come back off... That was with the engine out of the car and on a stand...

You can get the top hose off with both Plenums removed. The left intake has to come off to get the 996.2 AOS out. The right intake has to come off too if you want to replace the AOS side plastic hose. The 996.2 AOS R&R is time consuming, but I don’t think it was hard. I‘ve definitely tackled tougher jobs, and worked in some just as tight, and even tighter, places. R&R a BMW 135i fuse panel or water pump and you’ll HATE working on BMWs!

Im in the process of a new aos and uaos upgrade. Even with the car on my lift i couldnt see any way of sneaking it by the rigid coolant lines and trans without droping the motor significantly. Just pull the drivers side intake. Its not that hard. oh yea i have y2k 6spd.

As Brian_C and dporto mentioned, the tube that crosses over from the AOS to the opposite cam cover is hard plastic with a couple of bends if I recall correctly so it would not be possible to snake it through and have it come out the other side where you need it to be so, yeah, no, not possible.

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The replacement hose I received from Pelican Parts is almost completely accordian (flexible-ish) style as compared to the original hose. But that doesn't mean it is really flexible though. It is squashed in the middle some and that keeps it fairly rigid. There is a little more flex than the original, but not a whole lot more. When it is time to replace the new style, you still won't be able to pull it out. That's too bad, it sure would be nice to be able to tape the new one to the old one and pull the new one into place...but that ain't happening.

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I attached some string and a piece of wire to snake my .2 hose through and it was easy. Just push n pull at the same time while rotating.

no effing way. I replaced my plastic hose with oil/fuel resistant hose with a spring inside to prevent vacuum collapse. works well.

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Hmm, I wasn't able to get the old lower hose out without the intakes coming off. Maybe next time I'll try the string method. The top AOS hose was able to come out and back in by hand. I had to do that yesterday because of an AOS top hose change. The intake had been installed already and I didn't want to drop the engine and disassemble that much if I didn't have to. It was actually pretty easy to do.

So how do I get that front manifold bolt in?! I think I have it seated, but can�t get a socket on it.