diff --git a/dvc/api/data.py b/dvc/api/data.py
index 51c5437b77..f5f8a6ed03 100644
--- a/dvc/api/data.py
+++ b/dvc/api/data.py
@@ -45,22 +45,13 @@ def get_url(path, repo=None, rev=None, remote=None):
     with Repo.open(
         repo, rev=rev, subrepos=True, uninitialized=True, **repo_kwargs
     ) as _repo:
-        with _wrap_exceptions(_repo, path):
-            fs_path = _repo.dvcfs.from_os_path(path)
-            fs = _repo.dvcfs.fs
-            # pylint: disable-next=protected-access
-            key = fs._get_key_from_relative(fs_path)
-            # pylint: disable-next=protected-access
-            subrepo, _, subkey = fs._get_subrepo_info(key)
-            index = subrepo.index.data["repo"]
-            with reraise(KeyError, OutputNotFoundError(path, repo)):
-                entry = index[subkey]
-            with reraise(
-                (StorageKeyError, ValueError),
-                NoRemoteError(f"no remote specified in {_repo}"),
-            ):
-                remote_fs, remote_path = index.storage_map.get_remote(entry)
-                return remote_fs.unstrip_protocol(remote_path)
+        index, entry = _repo.get_data_index_entry(path)
+        with reraise(
+            (StorageKeyError, ValueError),
+            NoRemoteError(f"no remote specified in {_repo}"),
+        ):
+            remote_fs, remote_path = index.storage_map.get_remote(entry)
+            return remote_fs.unstrip_protocol(remote_path)
 
 
 class _OpenContextManager(GCM):
diff --git a/dvc/fs/dvc.py b/dvc/fs/dvc.py
index 8117b019f2..4ba009928c 100644
--- a/dvc/fs/dvc.py
+++ b/dvc/fs/dvc.py
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ def _prepare_credentials(self, **config) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
     @functools.cached_property
     # pylint: disable-next=invalid-overridden-method
-    def fs(self) -> "DVCFileSystem":
+    def fs(self) -> "_DVCFileSystem":
         return _DVCFileSystem(**self.fs_args)
 
     def isdvc(self, path, **kwargs) -> bool:
diff --git a/dvc/repo/__init__.py b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
index 544fd1f696..66de6e52f2 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     from dvc.stage import Stage
     from dvc.types import DictStrAny
     from dvc_data.hashfile.state import StateBase
-    from dvc_data.index import DataIndex
+    from dvc_data.index import DataIndex, DataIndexEntry
 
     from .experiments import Experiments
     from .index import Index
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def check_graph(
             new.check_graph()
 
     @staticmethod
-    def open(url, *args, **kwargs):  # noqa: A003
+    def open(url: Optional[str], *args, **kwargs) -> "Repo":  # noqa: A003
         from .open_repo import open_repo
 
         return open_repo(url, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -375,6 +375,28 @@ def drop_data_index(self) -> None:
         self.data_index.commit()
         self._reset()
 
+    def get_data_index_entry(
+        self,
+        path: str,
+        workspace: str = "repo",
+    ) -> Tuple["DataIndex", "DataIndexEntry"]:
+        if self.subrepos:
+            fs_path = self.dvcfs.from_os_path(path)
+            fs = self.dvcfs.fs
+            # pylint: disable-next=protected-access
+            key = fs._get_key_from_relative(fs_path)
+            # pylint: disable-next=protected-access
+            subrepo, _, key = fs._get_subrepo_info(key)
+            index = subrepo.index.data[workspace]
+        else:
+            index = self.index.data[workspace]
+            key = self.fs.path.relparts(path, self.root_dir)
+
+        try:
+            return index, index[key]
+        except KeyError as exc:
+            raise OutputNotFoundError(path, self) from exc
+
     def __repr__(self):
         return f"{self.__class__.__name__}: '{self.root_dir}'"
 
diff --git a/dvc/repo/open_repo.py b/dvc/repo/open_repo.py
index 8a09011661..1b5e0bbeb8 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/open_repo.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/open_repo.py
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
 import threading
-from contextlib import contextmanager
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, Iterator, Optional, Tuple
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, Optional, Tuple
 
 from funcy import retry, wrap_with
 
@@ -18,16 +17,14 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-@contextmanager
 @map_scm_exception()
 def _external_repo(
     url,
     rev: Optional[str] = None,
-    for_write: bool = False,
     **kwargs,
-) -> Iterator["Repo"]:
+) -> "Repo":
     logger.debug("Creating external repo %s@%s", url, rev)
-    path = _cached_clone(url, rev, for_write=for_write)
+    path = _cached_clone(url, rev)
     # Local HEAD points to the tip of whatever branch we first cloned from
     # (which may not be the default branch), use origin/HEAD here to get
     # the tip of the default branch
@@ -38,11 +35,6 @@ def _external_repo(
     config.update(kwargs.pop("config", None) or {})
 
     main_root = "/"
-    if for_write:
-        # we already checked out needed revision
-        rev = None
-        main_root = path
-
     repo_kwargs = dict(
         root_dir=path,
         url=url,
@@ -52,14 +44,7 @@ def _external_repo(
         **kwargs,
     )
 
-    repo = Repo(**repo_kwargs)
-
-    try:
-        yield repo
-    finally:
-        repo.close()
-        if for_write:
-            _remove(path)
+    return Repo(**repo_kwargs)
 
 
 def open_repo(url, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -140,20 +125,19 @@ def _get_remote_config(url):
         repo.close()
 
 
-def _cached_clone(url, rev, for_write=False):
+def _cached_clone(url, rev):
     """Clone an external git repo to a temporary directory.
 
     Returns the path to a local temporary directory with the specified
-    revision checked out. If for_write is set prevents reusing this dir via
-    cache.
+    revision checked out.
     """
     from shutil import copytree
 
     # even if we have already cloned this repo, we may need to
     # fetch/fast-forward to get specified rev
-    clone_path, shallow = _clone_default_branch(url, rev, for_write=for_write)
+    clone_path, shallow = _clone_default_branch(url, rev)
 
-    if not for_write and (url) in CLONES:
+    if url in CLONES:
         return CLONES[url][0]
 
     # Copy to a new dir to keep the clone clean
@@ -161,16 +145,12 @@ def _cached_clone(url, rev, for_write=False):
     logger.debug("erepo: making a copy of %s clone", url)
     copytree(clone_path, repo_path)
 
-    # Check out the specified revision
-    if for_write:
-        _git_checkout(repo_path, rev)
-    else:
-        CLONES[url] = (repo_path, shallow)
+    CLONES[url] = (repo_path, shallow)
     return repo_path
 
 
 @wrap_with(threading.Lock())
-def _clone_default_branch(url, rev, for_write=False):  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
+def _clone_default_branch(url, rev):  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
     """Get or create a clean clone of the url.
 
     The cloned is reactualized with git pull unless rev is a known sha.
@@ -204,7 +184,7 @@ def _clone_default_branch(url, rev, for_write=False):  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
 
             logger.debug("erepo: git clone '%s' to a temporary dir", url)
             clone_path = tempfile.mkdtemp("dvc-clone")
-            if not for_write and rev and not Git.is_sha(rev):
+            if rev and not Git.is_sha(rev):
                 # If rev is a tag or branch name try shallow clone first
 
                 try:
@@ -249,17 +229,6 @@ def _merge_upstream(git: "Git"):
         pass
 
 
-def _git_checkout(repo_path, rev):
-    from dvc.scm import Git
-
-    logger.debug("erepo: git checkout %s@%s", repo_path, rev)
-    git = Git(repo_path)
-    try:
-        git.checkout(rev)
-    finally:
-        git.close()
-
-
 def _remove(path):
     from dvc.utils.fs import remove