I did not have any trouble removing the upper breather hose. I did not remove the lower one until everything else was free allowing me to pull the AOS up a little and get a better angle on that release clamp. Actually I followed the steps
here. Especially post #36 was very helpful. Be careful with the knife. You do not want to cut anything not planed including yourself! Always use a new blade. Nothing more dangerous than a dull blade in a utility knife!