ALL of your ideas are superior to what they actually went with

I'm going to try a machine vice and picks to see if I can beat it....if not then the dremel beckons...weaken the midpoint of the circlip and break the bugger off.
I have a spare one and even a spare piston head lol

its tempting to just buy a new carrier and assemble all new spares then sell the original unit on fleabay and let it drive someone else mad...grrrr