I am replacing the oil adapter gasket on a 98 blazer and cannot find a way to remove the old gasket material. A small portion of the old gasket is stuck to the engine. It is very hard and I cannot scrape it off with a gasket scraper, screwdriver or razor blade. Does anyone have a recommendation of something that will soften the gasket? Remember that it is on the bottom of the engine and hard to get to.

This gasket is very hard. On the adapter side I had to be careful scrapping it off because the aluminum was softer than the gasket.

 

As long as the gasket is non-metallic (paper, cork, etc.), try getting at it with a wire wheel on a drill. Just make sure to clean the dust off of the area afterward.

 

Soak it with acetone.

 

Yep. I used one of those fiber disks (like sandpaper) on the end of a drill with a long extension.