While holding the cam shiv, or crank shiv may be expedient, holding the shiv is not the best plan, especially if their bolts have been excessively tightened, or loc-tited.

A strap wrench on the harmonic balancer can result in the rubber bond in its components being broken.

It is possible that the aligning dowel, or its hole in the cam, or cam shiv can be deformed by the turning force necessary to loosen the bolt.

If at all possible, the camshaft, or crankshaft itself should be the component that is immobilised.

On 3vz engines there is a flat on the camshaft that a large open end wrench can be applied to.

Crankshaft imobilisation might take more creative efforts, but it can be done.

 

To remove the cam bolt, use a 27mm wrench on the flats on the camshaft. (As millball points out, holding the cam by gripping the cam sprocket risks damaging the slots in the cam sprocket where the knock pins fit.)
You don't want the steel wrench to lean on the aluminum head, so a 2x4 takes the load when you're working alone.


To remove the crank bolt, use a simple shop-made tool to hold the INSIDE of the harmonic balancer. Here's my favorite: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...h-3vze-137934/

Grabbing the outside of the harmonic balancer risks damaging the sheaves. And you definitely don't want to do anything that might affect a shiv!

 

Sheave?? shiv???

Might be improper spelling but the pronunciation will be correct.

A sheave is a bundle of grain.

 

Okay, where I come from, a "shiv" is a home-made knife. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/shiv?s=t Like made from a toothbrush ground against a cell floor.

Sheave is certainly a bundle of grain. Or the grooved rim of a pulley.

Darn, English is a hard language to learn!!