need help removing dryer blower wheel

Trying to replace the belt, idler pulley & rollers on a 7-year-old Whirlpool Thin Twin dryer ("Thin Twin" is the all-in-one stacked model -- dryer on top of washer). I have gotten to the blower wheel but don't know how to remove it. The directions accompanying the parts, as well as directions I've found elsewhere on the internet, simply say, "Remove the blower wheel by holding the motor shaft and rotating the wheel clockwise." How do you "hold the motor shaft"? If you look thru the square opening in the center of the blower wheel you can see the end of the motor shaft (if I'm calling the right thing the motor shaft, that is) and it's round & threaded. I've tried holding the shaft with pliers at a point near where the belt goes around it (the drum of the drier is removed now, allowing this access) then turning the blower wheel clockwise as directed but it doesn't work. One site mentioned "external snap ring pliers" are necessary to remove the blower wheel on a Maytag. Is this what I need? How do they work? Any help you can give is much appreciated. Thanks.

 

WHATS THE MODEL NUMBER... SOME YOU HOLD THE MOTOR SHAFT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLOWER HOUSING THE SHAFT HAS FLAT SPOT FOR A WRENCH... ALSO THERE ARE SOME YOU JUST HAVE TO CUT OFF IF IT BEEN ON A FEW YEARS,,,,