Replacing lower oil filler tube, any tips on reaching the front bolt?

I cannot fit a socket on to that front bolt. the various brackets and water hoses are in the way. Does anyone have a hot tip on how to get in there?

THANKS!

Here's a tip for anyone planning on replacing their lower oil filler tube: move the alternator! That front bolt is a doozy to reach considering it's blocked by water hoses, wires, and the alternator bracket. The last of which I found just too difficult to overcome. Do yourself a favor, unbolt the alternator and move it over just one inch towards the passenger side, this will give you the clearance you need to reach that front bolt. The Bentley manual has pretty good instructions to help with this process. (You have to disconnect the wires on the engine block side and remove a plastic cover to create clearance room.)

For this project, I removed the:
Air duct between the air filter/MAF housing and the throttle body
Throttle body (now's a great time to clean it!)
Intake tee (with rubber couplers)
Alternator (as discussed above)

All in all, a doable project. Definitely one where moving other parts makes all the difference!

Jay
99 Boxster

My vague recollection is that the bottom part of the oil filler tube is near the front of the engine and that the alternator is near the back. Also, I think I used a long extension, a wobble socket, and a magnet and didn't have that much trouble getting it out. Admittedly it was a really long time ago.

Of course, all my info applies to MY99 only. I can't speak to any other years, although I'd imagine other 986s would be similar. I also tried the wobble socket, but there wasn't even enough room for it to fit in there! With the alternator out of place just slightly, the job became a breeze, relatively speaking. I was able to just use a straight extension.