Crank pulley bolt

Please forgive me if this has been asked before. I've discovered a coolant leak coming from the timing cover, my best guess it that the water pump is going south. OK. To replace on my '85 1.5L I need to pulley both the upper and lower timing covers. I'm having some difficulty getting the crank pulley bolt off (manual trans) and could use some pointers. Putting it into gear seems useless -it just rolls. Is an impact gun the way to go or is there a more simple way to get it loose or tighten it for that matter? My thought is to wedge a screw driver within the flywheel's teeth, but how do I get to them (the teeth)? Pull the starter? I don't see an inspection plate...ideas and shared experiences are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

i would go with the impact wrench. i really don't know of another/better way to do it. maybe a breaker bar and use a hammer, you will need the impact force to loosen it as turning it simply tuns over the engine as you have already found out. you could also try having a friend step on the brake while in gear as well

I have always put mine inreverse withe the tires turned all teh way to the left still sitting on the ground with the parking brake engauged and a long breaker bar and 2 foot estension going through the wheel well with the head of the breaker bar sitting on a jack stand and a couple of feet of pipe on the breaker bar handle to give me leaverage.

Well, I tried an impact wrench and I tried it in reverse, both ideas didn't work in my case. I ended up having to pull the starter, jam a pry bar into the flywheel's teeth and using my BIG breaker bar on it - it did come loose. Water pump bearing is really hosed. I think it's orginal. It has Japan something or other stamped on the pump's housing - not bad for 254k mi, but not a fun replacement job either. Do you guys know of any special coolant requirements for these motors?

which way does it go to loosin right or left cause when i crank it it goes counterclockwise so which way do i go to losin i will be using an impact

the bolt has a normal thread so counterclockwise will loosen it. be cautious when punting it back in with the impact wrench, i sheered one off the other day

ive tried it with an impact and still i have no screw out it doesnt turn with the impact it will turn with me if i do it by hand but it just barely budges with the imact how much torque does my impact have to be

the bolt is supposed to be at 80 foot pounds. i got mine to 80 by jamming a screwdriver into the starter teeth on the flywheel, you can try that through the timing plug hole. otherwise keep going with the impact wrench