[ivymike1031]

A few comments:

The wrench is available from Napa for about $30, and a pack of six nuts that size can be ordered from McMaster for about $7.

The hexagonal recess in the crank nose pulley was put there by honda for the specific purpose of allowing one to hold the crankshaft stationary while removing the crank nose bolt (check the service manual for more info). Honda sells a tool for $150 to do the same thing.

Many car manufacturers put access plates on the bellhousings of their vehicles to allow you to do exactly what I suggested - jam the ring gear with a screwdriver or other lever. In many service manuals, that is the recommended procedure for holding the crank. The ring gear, in case you're wondering, is the big gear that the starter engages with.

Your memory must be getting rusty. An automatic transmission allows the engine to spin freely when it is in park, so the brakes won't affect anything. If you don't believe me, get in a friend's car w/ auto and start it up with the tranny in park... The engine spins around and around and around no matter what you do with the brakes.

In fact, with most automatic transmissions, it doesn't matter what you do with the shift selector, if the engine isn't running, it can spin freely. This is the reason that you can't push-start a car with an automatic transmission.