You can use just a run of the mill pulley puller...it'll either like what you described happen...break the puller itself or the bolts...or it'll get the pulley off, RUIN the pulley...and damage the snout shaft, possibly bending it in the process. You have to have a specific puller from one of the vendors to get it off correctly.
You can have it pressed on at a machine shop with the snout off of the car...I had mine done but it was on a 50,000lb. press IIRC.