Water pump removal, is there a special tool to remove it?

Hello, I’m currently working on replacing the water pump, timing belt, and fan belt on our Rodeo.

I have removed all the various parts and ran into two issues.

First is that even with all screws removed, the water pump will not come out. I’ve tried all the obvious stuff to no avail. Is there a special tool to remove it?

Second is the instructions I was following said to rotate the engine to TDC before removing the timing belt. I did so, but when I pulled the belt off, the exhaust valve shaft backed off a little over one gear tooth counterclockwise. Is there a trick or special tool to keep the valves properly aligned when the new timing belt is installed?

Thanks!