Pull exhaust to repair idler arm? Say it ain't so!

It appears that I will have to pull the exhaust system to get the idler arm bolt out on my '88 300E. Does anyone have a trick here? I know full well the answer, but I have to ask the question anyway.

You know, the MB engineers designed this car so that you have to pull the exhaust for a number of commonly wearable items including; clutch, flex discs and idler arm.

These engineers did a very poor job. If they had worked a little harder, they could have made the car so that you had to pull the exhaust to replace the brakes and the spark plugs. I sure hope none of them lost their job for making it too easy to work on.

It appears that without the insane light off converters required by the US Congress in their infinite wisdom, the bolt would clear the exhaust. A German technician never knows that there is a problem.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have. I expect the suggestions will be related to removing the exhaust.

Thanks,