Tim-
Yes you can. Cutting a small section of that tab away to get at the nuts
is fine. There are definitely some old emails on this subject so you could
probably do a search and find them. Also...a set of crowsfoot wrenches
apparently also comes in handy. This project is on my never ending list of
preventative maintenance items I probably ought to do.
Regards-
Troy Dunn
Hull #514 (aka Wonky Dog)