I usually do my A/C bracket from above, with a pivoting stubby ratchet. I use a 3/8 breaker to crack them loose. My garage is tight and low (and full of crap!), so as long as they loosen it's just as easy to do it this way, versus jacking and pulling the tire.

If pulling the crank gear caused the sensor ring to come off, then that says to be it was trapped within the sensor. In which case you'd better check the sensor for damage. If it is fubar'd, you will have trouble with it running.

What Grasscat said... You can pull a 98 FSM from the link in my sig.