<VV> Removing old gasket from the 45 degree oil adaptor

[Stephen Upham]

I have a leak in the 45 degree oil adaptor.  It is minor but  
irritating on a new engine.  So, I decided to buy the gasket set and  
replace them in order to take care of it since I'll be changing the  
oil and filter anyway.  Well, when I took off the bottom part of the  
adaptor that attaches to the oil filter everything went very well.  It  
was when I took a mirror and looked at the seal on the attachment to  
the generator bracket assembly that I began to think this was not  
going to go well.  The gasket that fits on the top (the larger  
diameter gasket) is very, very attached to the aluminum of the  
housing.  I tried to use a small screw driver to see if I could get  
under a part of it and lift it out.  No luck.  It seems to have become  
one with the housing.  Working upside down and using a mirror isn't  
helping anything, either.  Before I try anything else, like removing  
the generator bracket assembly which will necessitate buying yet more  
gaskets, does anyone have a neat trick for removing the gasket material?

Stephen U