Thanks Guys.
Well, I'm going to take the instructions over to the shop I've decided on and state that I don't want the exhaust removed and that I need to know they are comfortable doing the job by feel only. They'll have a rack to lift it on etc...
Selectron - I took a look at that other guy's method, and frankly you end up with the same end result... doing it by feel. Since I'm far away from home away from a shop I somewhat trust I don't think I like the idea of them dismounting the engine to replace the VSS. It is a viable 2nd method though, but not for me.
Relating to my other "Attempts..." extremely long thread - I still think I have an electrical problem in the van. Either the culprit gas MPG bad ground caused the VSS to go bad, or it being less than 20k miles old from Autozone... it just went bad, or maybe it was poor quality from day 1 and is contributing to my rough idle problems. Still, when I get home I plan to do the voltage drop tests etc.. and if I find irregularities I'm gonna replace a few cables and add a "ground cable network" that I've come up with to hopefully solve this once and for all.