Need advice on Murcie water pump removal

I searched, but couldn't find any posts about this or find a DIY! Has anyone removed their water pump? The MX manual is pretty vague and says to remove the cross brace member (by the way, there are SIX bolts, not four like the manual says!). I'm trying to figure out if there are any tricks to getting the cross brace out. The manual doesn't mention removing other components, but it looks like more things are in the way. Before I pull too many parts, has anyone found a good way to maneuver it out? Just trying to keep the reassembly time to a minimum.

Also, any good sources for rebuild or replacement? I know VAG jacked the price up a couple years back.

Thanks