330Xi power steering cooler hoses removal

[Andrew740i]

Have a 2001 330XI and need some help with the power steering lines that go from the cooler to the reservoir and pump. I was able to remove the one that goes from the reservoir to the cooler without much difficulty thanks to the quick disconnect tool. The other line required a dremel, pliers and lots of yelling to get that end removed. I can not for the life of me figure out how to remove the banjo bolt on the pump side. There is seemingly virtually no access and the other hose that goes to the reservoir is directly above it making it even more difficult. I was able to remove the air duct that goes to the backside of the alternator, while this allowed me to see the bolt, very little gain in access. So:

1.) Any tips on how to gain access and remove the bolt?

2.) According to realoem.com the banjo bolt appears to be an M16x28, which I believe translates into a nut size of 24mm. However, getting a socket that size is proving extremely difficult due to the space constraints. Can anyone confirm this is the actual nut size?

For reference, the hose is #7 and the banjo bolt is #9 in the diagram here:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=32_0958

[Andrew740i]

FYI, I have attempted trying to get it undone underneath the car and also on top. Either route seems to not offer enough space to slip a wrench or socket wrench into. Is it supposed to be done from the side? Does the wheel have to come off?

[Andrew740i]

To help those in the future:

I ended up removing the alternator for better access. This requires the additional removal of the air channel and cooling fan.

Access to the banjo bolt was still limited so I used a 20mm offset wrench to remove and reinstall it.