Thanks,
I can hear a bit of rattle in the timing chain when it's hot. Should I stop driving it altogether or can I keep her well oiled and drive softly?
If you've got another way to get around I'd stop driving the car till you got a chance to change everything. I'm a fairly cautious person though.
Here's pictures of how I removed and installed the crankshaft bolt using a spanner on the vibration damper with 2 longer M8 bolts and some nuts and washers (washers aren't pictured below, but would go between the spanner and the extra nuts)
I already had a large spanner that I've used for holding the trans output flange still while removing the 30mm bolt that holds it to the output shaft (the spanner is picture 1)
Along with the you'll need some longer bolts, nuts, and a couple washers to be safe (you can find these at Home Depot/Lowes/your local hardware store). I think the bolts that hold the vib. damper to the crank sprocket are M8, but check to make sure.
Removal:
1. take all bolts out of the vibration damper.
2. insert longer M8 bolts with washers and extra nuts
3. use the bolts to hold the spanner while you loosen up the crank bolt (with the engine in the car the handle of the spanner will hit the ground which keeps it from turning.
Installation is reverse of removal. In the pictures the timing case is already removed because this is a block I've got in my basement. There's a factory style tool you can use rather than the spanner that attaches to each of the bolts on the vib. damper, but I had no trouble with the spanner, just make sure you use the extra nuts to hold the spanner tight against the vib. damper, otherwise you'll just bend the bolts and won't get anywhere. If you need further instruction just let me know....HTH.


