74 Dart heater/AC fan motor R/R

Hi all. I have a 74 Dodge Dart Swinger. Can the heater/AC fan motor be removed by unbolting it from the firewall and pulling straight out? Or, do I have to remove the squirrel cage from the inside first? I've never had to do this before and have never seen it done. I need to remove the 440 valve cover on the passenger side.

Thanks, Russ:)