ok so for those of us that use the starter method & have no pulley tool, do we need to now go rent one in order to hold the pulley while we tighten it? or is the tightest it will go until it starts turning the pulley (which isn't very tight seemingly) tight enough?

 

Get the tool; and rent or borrow a torque wrench. Torque spec is 181 ft. lbs., which is a lot, relatively speaking.

 

Take the torque converter access panel off (small plate between trans and engine by oil pan and have a friend hold a prybar on the flex plate teeth to keep the motor from turning. I have never needed the tool to loosen or tighten to speck the crank bolt.

 

Yeah, but hey.... that's coming from a professional "DIY" er !!!
Sometimes it better to be safe than sorry, especially if unsure.

 

I used the same method fsttyms1 mentioned on 4 timing belt jobs and no problems

 

Dont have to be a professional DIY'er to do that method. In fact that method would be more of a novice way as they usually dont have the "correct" tools and that would be the way they would do it method

 

Yeah, ....should have said "well seasoned" and mechanically inclined "DIY" er !!!

 

pulley tool to tighten bolt on an aftermarket pulley ... yea that worked out reeeeeeal great lol!!! haha thank you fsttyms1 your method is what i had to use, as there is uhmmm no placement groove for the tool at least on the obx underdrive pulley.

 

Doh! Completely forgot about the fact that the aftermarket pulleys don't have the hex.