How to defeat 37 years worth of rust

[NM5K]

that starter has a lot more force that you will be able to muster. it will either loosen or strip out completely!...

Thats the way I usually break loose the crankshaft
nut of front wheel drive cars. IE: when changing
water pumps, timing belts, etc.. Those nuts are
usually 85+ ft lb's or more, and can be tough.
I'll stick a big socket/drive on the nut, lock it in place
in the frame somewhere, and blip the starter.
Nut pops right off like it was loose the whole time...
Course, when you get through, you have to retorque
the nut... For that, I get it as tight as I can, and then
drive around the corner to borrow an impact to
zip it on down to 85+ ft lb's.. Doing this on the tractor/
mower should be ok as long as the ignition is unplugged. BTW...You do not need a spring compressor on ford trucks. When you undo a ford
truck, it's already loose before you go to remove it
by the time you get the parts off. There are some cars that do require the compressors though.
MK