Locking a Manual Transmission Car's Crankshaft - Way to Do It w/o Taking Transm. Out?
 

Pulling the head on a 16-valve 190E (getting good at it now) to replace the chain guides and the oil pump. Seems you have to take the head off to get the front cover off.

Anyway, I need to remove the crankshaft pulley and have no lift, so I don't want to remove the transmission unless I have to, but I am not sure how to restrain the crank while I unscrew the fastener at the end of the crank. Anyone have any experience to share? Thanks, Jim

Put the trans. in gear this will use the rear wheels as a lock, you can also add more hold by placing the parking brake on too. JNT.

The factory tool locks the starter ring gear thru the plastic cover in the oil pan...I,m sure you can come up with a suitable way to hold it there.

Another method is to stuff rope into one of the spark plug holes. This forces the piston to hold the crankshaft.

I wouldnt do that to a lawn mower

If I were you, I'd try to put it in the highest geat (IE: 5th, hardest for the engine to turn) and engage the parking brake. If the brake holds the wheels, the tranny will hold the engine.

Thanks guys. I repeated this post in the "performance paddock" section and got some advice there we tried to follow. While travelling down that path we fashioned a brace that bolts to the front of the dampner on the crank after you take off the pulley. We put it across the engine bay to bear on the frame rail where the self leveling hydraulic reservoir normally sits (three bolts take it off), with a bit of plywood and a chunk of the flat bar to protect the rail. While the bolts bent (my dampner is aparently peculiar and uses wimpy fasteners to hold the pulley on), that big bolt finally came out.

I have been posting some photos and progress in this thread:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=187710

We are going to try to get to the point of removing the oil pan today. Jim