My intent is to explore all possibilities, and try as many as possible, and report back my experiences,

I understand that, but...the bottom line is that this is not rocket science. It is a crank pulley. We have been pulling these things off of engines since the first one was ever installed.

The time you have spent exploring your options would have gotten the pulley off and back on by now and you could have gotten on with your life. Wood, bolts, and wrenches used improperly would all do it. So would my suggestion, but you dismissed it because you did not want to pull a boot off a spark plug. Frankly, I am not sure exactly what you are wanting to hear.

To each their own, but this seems to be something that is taking way more energy than it ever should.

Michael