Great advice. Thanks for the help.

I was able to put some time in on it last night, and was successful in getting all 16 nuts (or nuts+studs) out. Just like you said. I needed my vast assortment of hand tools, and wished I had a few more (like an 11mm swivel socket - I only have a couple of 10mms near that size). Took about 2-3 hours, some nuts taking a minute, some taking half an hour.

Another tool I'd really like to have is a very compact right angle air/electric ratchet drive. Even 1/4" drive would be very helpful. My 3/8" air ratchet could fit in some places, but mostly not. Even the tool the video guy used (looks like a Milwaukee 12V right angle impact driver) looks bigger than needed/wanted for this job.

So at this point, the exhaust manifolds are loose, and not quite pulled all the way off the few remaining studs. I had the stiffening plate off 2 days ago when I first looked at this from below. Have not touched the sway bar yet.

New question then ...

I'm not actually wanting to fully remove the manifolds. I just want to get the head out. I can see if I were to keep going on the manifolds, working below the car, I could get them out. And then I'd end up just reversing all of that to put them back in.

With them as loose as they are, would it be OK to just take the head out, make repairs as needed, put the head back in, and re-attach the manifolds? Basically leaving them mostly in place where they are?

Very helpful to know not to touch the differential or engine mount. And I can easily do the sway bar, etc., but if I don't have to touch something, I'd rather not.

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2001 X5 3.0i, 203k miles, AT, owned since 2014