Guys,
Just came back from the machine shop. They said that because the gear is aluminum it would more likely than not be damaged or completely break in the removal process. They said that the retainer plate sometimes has a tendency to bend or break also. This shop, while highly regarded by locals as being good, obviously does not specialize in Chevy inline 6s.
Fred I'll try your approach. They wanted to sell me a new Cloyes set for $55. Did not recommend just buying the timing gear without the crank gear as it can sometimes generate noise (so they say).
Thanks for the advice!
-ftyler
