[Sirrotica]

No reason you can't pull it from the side, during my career as a mechanic I've had to reach through the passenger door of a few vans to extract the engines from the side. Being that you're not trying to pull the transmission out with the engine, chances are pretty good you'll not cause any body damage. I wouldn't ever attempt to do it with a transmission attached, as many people on here yank both out. I'm not sure why they do it like that, it just makes the job harder.

When you need to move an engine crane slightly sideways, I've used a large bar or pipe, even a 2X4, to put it under the front of the legs to slide it sideways a few inches. That's totally your choice whether you want to try that, or not. It's sometimes easier than trying to move the car, which isn't possible if it's on a lift.

Whatever you decide, good luck with the extraction and install.