Keep persevering with a tiny amount of brushing every day, lots of smooches while doing so and nice treats too (squeezy cheese was a good one for us). He'll soon come to associate grooming with nice feelings. Also, it's a good idea to use a specific place for grooming, such as the top of his cage.
Puppy ears do smell a bit doggy. If they are dirty, you can use some ear cleaner on cotton wool. If there's a lot of brown stuff he might have ear mites. Again, it's a good idea to get him used to having his ears handled as cockers are sometimes prone to ear infections.