I got the back plate off. Just in case someone does a search and is in the same situation. My back plate was stuck...looked to be jammed in ever so slightly off square. I took a vice grip and managed to pull it out. In the above thread I asked if it screwed in somehow. It does not. A bonus to all this back plate issue is that I managed to muck up the front seal which was next on the list. All the fighting with the back plate pushed the pulley shaft in and out. The woodruff key was still in tact and it pretty much damaged the front seal bushing (in a good way).

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1985 300d Turbo Diesel