Although I own the special tools for the B230 as well as B21/23, I no longer use either one. Instead, I much prefer a piece of cotton clothesline (nylon or similar is OK too), for what is called "The Rope Trick". It's as quick and easy as any tool, and the basic steps are simple:

1 - Pull plugs and rotate crank to #1 0° TDC Compression
2 - Verify #1 and #2 valves closed - look thru oil fill hole, #1 cam pointed slightly up and inboard, #2 pointed horizontally outboard.
3 - Rotate crank about 90° past TDC
4 - Stuff about 3 feet of clothesline into # 1 plug hole, leaving 6" outside
5 - Back crank up until the packed rope stops further rotation.
6 - Use socket, breaker bar, and pipe extension to loosen pulley bolt
7 - Tighten bolt the same way, but start with crank about 90° before #1 TDC Comp.
8 - When tight to spec, turn the crank back a little and remove clothesline

NOTE: This is the ONLY holding tool alternative that allows tightening the bolt to book spec of 44 lb ft, then an additional 60° (B230), or 122 ft lbs. for B21/23.

Here's what some 1st time users had to say:
"The "rope trick" for holding the engine still while removing the harmonic balancer bolt worked like a charm. Honestly, I doubted that it would, but WOW!"

"I finally had an opportunity today to use one of the "rope" tricks to help take off the crank bolt. All I can say is - it worked like a charm! Two seconds and I had the crank bolt off..."

"I did this a few weeks ago exactly as ... described and it couldn't have been easier." 5/29/05

"....the rope trick worked like a charm to loosen and tighten the crank pulley bolt!!," 12/28/05

"tryed the . . . method without any luck but the rope trick worked fine to remove the pully bolt" 1-10-06

"(thanks for the rope trick! Worked like a charm.)" 6-26-06

"i just completed the task using the rope trick and my opinion is that it is extremely gentle as compared to jamming a screw driver anywhere. it required about 5 to 6 ft. of 1/4 inch rope and made mission impossible mission simple."

4-25-07 at http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=1178645.


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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.