I wanted to post a followup and say that my setup, so far, is working great. And FWIW, the actuator CAN be swapped out w/o removing the turbo. I removed the crossover pipe and EGR housing as I was going to be cleaning and modifying them anyway, and the intake boot from the airbox was removed, so access was a little bit easier. The little circlip that holds the actuator rod on at the wastegate can be tricky to remove, but I finally did get it with just my fingers. This is a messy job (if your car is as dirty as mine), so approach it with patience and ratty attire.

Thanks again GSXR for being the pathfinder on this project!

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)