[kaiser]

Originally Posted by mickywillis

OK, i've just done this, so those in the process of wanting to know the easy way, here goes;
DISCONNECT BATTERY!!!!
Remove the starter motor, a bit fiddly because of pipework in the way, but it can be done. 2 x 15mm (I think?) bolts hold it in place, accesed from RHS of engine bay. You don't need to remove the inlet manifold, pipes, etc, etc just the engine soundproof cover and the air intake pipe to slam panel.
Disconnect the electrical connections to the starter motor (1 x 13mm and a pull off plug) Take starter motor off and store safely.
Buy yourself the following: 1 length of 1 1/2" (or 30-35mm) steel pipe, thick walled and about 400mm long, 1 x 22mm 1/2" drive socket (3/4" drive better if you have the spanners/ratchets) and a 1/2" or 3/4" drive socket which will fit snugly inside the pipe.
Weld the 22mm socket at one end of the pipe with the socket face outwards (like using an extension bar) and weld the other socket INSIDE the other end of the pipe so the square 1/2" or 3/4" drive is outside. you now have the mother of all 22mm extension sockets!!
Turn the crankshaft pulley so you can see one of the 15mm bolts on the back of the flywheel (through the starter motor casing) and fit a ring spanner onto it, turning the crankshaft so it jams against the engine casing.
Use your new 400mm extension socket to remove the crank pulley bolt. A 4ft length of bar over the ratchet is advisable to aid removal of the bolt.
The reason why most people struggle to remove the bolt is because they use long extension bars to reach the pulley bolt from under the wheel arch. The extension bars have too much spring in them, so most of the effort (torque) used to try and remove the bolt is used up twisting the extension bar (think of the torsion bars used in Citroen 2CV's, Beetles and some Porsches for the springing effect of the suspension)
The long extension socket you have made removes all the springiness out of the process, so all effort used to turn the pulley bolt is directly transferred TO the bolt and not wasted!!
I will be keeping my bar for future use, but if anyone wishes to borrow it, feel free to contact me.

I would hate to see the difficult way!:
However, all of this can be avoided by using good quality tools in the first place.
You get what you pay for.