'97 V70 A/C clutch removal?

I want to re-shim the air conditioner clutch, but there's not much clearance or access. I unscrewed the 6mm fixing bolt (10mm spanner). The clutch is still tightly attached. There are some 5mm threaded holes for a puller, and it looks like I could just get in there and use one. But, it's not obvious that there's enough room to actually remove the clutch plate. There's about 20mm between it and the wheel arch, and some of that space will be taken up by the puller. I'd like to find out if it's possible to do the job this way, or do I need to remove the compressor first? That'd be a shame as I'd need to regas later. Any advice gladly received.