I have a set of common 3/8" flex sockets which are very handy as they are shorter than a flex joint+3/8" socket combo.

I have used similar procedures to shave all sorts of time off jobs. One time a coworker told me a shop quoted about 5 hours to replace a knock sensor on her Maxima. I looked at the shop manual and sure enough, the cooling system had to be drained, hoses come off, inatke mani comes off... holy crap! After studying it for a bit, I pull out my unversal sockets and long extensions, and remove the knock sensor, reinstall/torque the new one, and car is finished in 30 minutes. She bought me lunch and we were even. =)

Good work on the thermostat procedure. I rest easier now knowing the fact that I didn't do it at t-belt time isn't the end of the world if I start having problems.