YES - get the tool!!
If you have the crank in the engine, but it's not in the car, you can up-end it (very carefully) and place it on a thick wood block sized so that only the flange (not the block) sits on it, so the hammer will not shock the thrust flange as much. If it's on a stand, roll it up against a wall - same deal, wood block behind. It's not completely safe, it's just better.
