[jocko]

if the crank snout is not tapped (I ran into this situation with an old small block also) then gently (or not) tapping may be the only option. Recommend maybe putting a butane torch to the balancer metal snout (i.e. the part that goes over the crank) to get it to expand ever so slightly. But will still require a decent sized hammer. I WOULD put some wood over the face of the balancer such that the hammer blows focus the force onto the center of the balancer and also protect the rest of its face. Probably not feasible to "freeze" the crank snout to get it to contract slightly, but heating the balancer a bit may help. Normally when I have to do an interference fit like that, I put the offending part in the freezer (i.e. like a pilot bushing, etc) overnight - but you want the balancer to expand to fit looser AROUND the crank.

That's about all I can think of. I'll be honest, if the crank is out, it might not be a bad idea to get er tapped.... Could save a lot of headaches and wouldn't cost much. Could probably do it yourself, but make sure you know the correct tap size and that it will work with the puller you're gonna use.