Hello All,

I'm hoping for a little advice.  I have the engine out of my '88 Westy (2.1 WBX) and it's in my basement.  Initially, I was just going to replace the heads, clutch, water pump, ..... but since I have the engine out, I've decided I'll split the case and measure up the crank, and replace the bearings if required.  

Well, I have a little problem.  I don't have a fancy engine stand (unless you consider a wood crate fancy) and I can't get the leverage needed to remove the pulley bolt.  Specifically, I don't have the means of anchoring the engine while I apply the required torque.    So I was thinking about splitting the case and just removing the crank with  the pulley still attached, and after it's out, take it over to a local machine shop and have them remove it.  Is that a reasonable approach?  Also, I have to ask this silly question  ........ is the bolt a standard left-hand thread to remove?  Any other suggestions?  

Thanks all!

Ken