Q: What's the best way to get bolts off of the water pump pulley

I will usually try to break the bolts free from the pulley before I remove the belt. Sometimes you can put a little extra tension on the belt by pressing on the tensioner, while using another wrench to break the initial torque of the bolts. Then, remove the belt and the bolts should be loose enough to back them out. If you have already removed the belt, and the heads of the bolts are exposed in a way that you can get a pry bar, or something similar onto them, I have wedged the pry bar between two of the bolt heads so that I can hold them steady, while I use another wrench to loosen the others. If this is something you feel you could use a hand with, consult a certified mechanic, like those available at YourMechanic.com.