My 2012 3.5i is right at 60k miles. As a preventative maintenance, I want to replace the water pump and thermostat. I also bought a new hose that goes between the two.

I am having difficulty finding detailed information as to how this is done. Specifically, do I need to remove anything else to get these parts out to swap out? I saw some posts talking about pulling off the intercooler to make room to fish these out, whereas other posts never mention it.

So: Who's done this job on the N55, and what did you remove to get the old parts out?

Thanks in advance