OK guys, I need some help.

I have an 85 2.6 Gen I. I went to replace all of the cooling hoses, including all of the heater hoses. There's a metal pipe that runs from the back of the water pump, all the way down the side of the block, around the back of the block, and it has two nipples on it, halfway between the bellhousing and head. One nipple goes to the heater core, and the other goes to the intake manifold.
My problem is that this damn hose is so hard to get to, that I was barely able to get the old hoses and clamps off, much less get the new ones on. It seems that there's a bracket right next to the nipple that goes to the intake manifold. This is preventing me any clearance whatsoever to be able to squeeze even a thin clamp between the bracket and the hose, so I can properly position it, and tighten it.
It looks in my FSM like there's a bolt at that nipple, and one on the side of the block that attach the pipe to the block.
Is the best way to approach this to totally remove the pipe, attach the hoses to it, then reinstall the pipe? I;m not sure if I can even get to the bolts that attach the pipe to the block.

Thanks!

Once you have replaced these hoses a half dozen times they are merely a difficult PIA. Your first time as you are experiencing is frustrating to say the least.
The only time I remove the pipe is to get the connection to the waterpump freshened. Be careful when removing the hoses from the brass tubes that pass through the firewall, they crush easy. It is hard to do this job without getting cuts or scratches on you arms. And these hoses are the highest failure rate on the RWD vehicles so they do need to be done.
Beyond that I can not offer an easy way, I do not think there is one.

a body lift makes it real easy also.

So do you think removing the pipe is a better option?

I cannot get the clamp to slide all the way up on the nipple with the hose on there, because of the bracket tha tsits right next to it. Perhaps I slightly bent the nipple towards the bracket while removing the old hose?

Since they have a high failure rate, what about using actual Stainless Braided Line, like you see on turbo oil lines, brake lines ,etc. ?

I have found that with Gates or Dayco hoses I am getting much better life from them.
I expect if you dismount the pipe you will not get the rear mount back on, and that may not be an issue. That clamp is tough to get to, I think I have slid it in place with wire or long thin tools and used 1/4 drive socket to spin the screw.
I think I have also removed the carb to get back there, this also gets me to replace the hose from the carb to the head also since this should be done every 10 years or so.

And you can't get the steel bypass pipe off the block with the engine on the mounts. Been there and bought the tshirt. I notched the bracket. The tapered hose is the worst...

I have ridded myself from all of these frustrations.

Yea. Replaced one of mine in a pep boys parking lot. Match the hoses up at a parts store.

Showoff

:P

Match it up? I made mine once in the Great Valley auto parts store in Summerville, GA, out of generic hose elbows, hose savers, 1" of 1/2" copper pipe. The copper was to stiffen the hose (whose o.d. matched the o.d. of the intake mani nipple) so I could use a piece of nipple/line o.d. matching hose as a connector. I think there were 10 hose clamps, 4 hose savers two elbows, two straight hoses, and one sleeve. Palm ratchet is your friend in that hole.