Help me remove this gasket

Question:

My recently assembled engine suffered a thermostat problem. The new 180-degree unit failed to open until 200 degrees, causing some anxious moments. A Felpro gasket was installed without sealer and is only a few weeks old but is firmly bonded to the cast iron, resisting all efforts to scrape it off. Is there an easy way to remove it? Oddly, the top surface stuck very little. The only known difference is the gasket bottom is on a surface painted a month ago with Rust-Oleum Satin Black.

Answer:

I usually just sharpen a sturdy putty knife and it use to scrap off old gaskets. If the gasket is especially stuck I soak it with a little lacquer thinner to soften the sealer or paint that was used when installing it. However, my friend Dennis McGillis informs me that there is a gasket remover offered by CRC that sells for around $6.50 at auto parts stores that apparently make short work of gasket removal. Afterwards, I clean up the mating surfaces with fine sandpaper and then use a thin coat of the old tried-and-true Permatex Form A Gasket on both sides. I don’t like the silicone stuff. I know I am old school, but it has been my experience that sealer sticks mostly to itself, and becomes engine cholesterol if it gets loose.