Drive Plate Mounting Bolts Removal Note

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 Mazda 6. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Set the SST or equivalent against the drive plate.
Remove the bolts and the drive plate.

Fig 1: Identifying Drive Plate Bolt Removal Sequence
Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.