Most of my use for wood has been to straighten lead screws at work. It really doens't take a lot of force and the wood prevents damage. It is real easy to over do it in a mechanical or hydraulic press.Wizard thank you for 2x4 explanation , here in Europe we use mainly oak wood for such purposes.
To straight crankshaft properly is ART I have tried to do it without success .
The biggest problem with a crank is figuring out where the distortion is coming from. Once that is determined then you need to find a way to get a purchase on the parts to adjust them.