Finally found a junk yard with a couple Pintos. One of which was a 2.3 with the outer timing cover still there. That’s what I needed. Pulled the bolts and….discovered that you need to pull the crank pulley to remove said cover.  70 mile round trip.   So, two questions:

Is it true you need to pull crank pulley to get the outer cover off?

How hard are these pulleys to remove?  Been sitting there for a loooong time. Spray lube, impact, pry bars, three jaw puller?  Any tips or advice appreciated!

Thanks.

If the junkyard allows it, bring a Mapp Gas torch.  You may need heat to get the pulley off.  Mine took a lot of persuasion to get off.  In the end, the heat did the trick.  I don't think you need to take the pulley off but it may make it easier to get the timing cover off in the long run. 

I'm not sure if the propane torch would be hot enough.  The pulley has been on the snout for over 40 years so it might take a bit to free it up.  If that's all I had, I would give it a try.