Oldsmobile/Buick Repair: Harmonic Balancer Removal, olds cutlass, torque converter

Question
My question is concerning the removal of the harmonic balancer for my 3.3 V6 1992 olds cutlass cierra. I took it to a local repair shop after unsuccessfully attempting to remove it, and they said you needed to remove the oil pan for some reason to get it off. Is this true and if so why? Also any other advice on this project would be greatly appreciated.
                         Thank You for your time
                             Chris Kent

Answer
Hi Chris,
According to my manual, you need to remove the flywheel/torque converter cover, but no mention of the oil pan.
Looks pretty straight foreward to me, and I think the only reason to remove that cover is to hold the engine from turning while you remove the bolt. I think I could hold it a different way, like with the belt.
Anyway, it does say to block the car up, remove the right front tire and fender splash shield, remove the bolt, and use a suitable puller.

Van