Flex plate bolts

I am replacing the engine. Once I removed the starter, the opening to the flywheel/torque converter area gave me access to the flex plate bolts-to-torque converter. The problem: I can only get access to half the hex 14 mm bolts (total of 4)- the opening is covered by transmission plate on the side of the bolts allowing only partial access to these bolts. I tried a crow bar drive but it isn't doing it and almost stripping the bolts. I can't get the flex plate to lock neither through the crankshaft pulley nor directly. No shop near me has the specific flywheel or flywheel holder. I have never removed a flywheel before, I am afraid to break its teeth, chip them or bend them and I can't find a seller to replace it if I did damage them in the process (they tell me parts for this ford are all but gone and discontinued). How do I get this flywheel to lock in order to remove the bolts and how do I do it when I can't put a 14mm socket to them? I am trying to avoid removing the transmission and engine together if I can help it.