TOO LATE. But I did it. I didn't screw up too badly. I scuffed the plastic face / flange of the motor. But nothing structural. :) Yup it was crap-ton of rust on the spindle. Once I cut the hooks off, I just held the motor body in place and...
Oh, and as a summary for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
In this case, the stuck propeller was due to corrosion on the motor spindle. Rust does a double whammy--it takes up more space, and is much rougher than polished steel...