Sorry about the delay in the updates due to the cold weather lately. First, I thought about using the dowel to hammer the half moon gasket in order to rotate and pop it out. In comparing to use the hook and pick, I prefer to use the hook and pick set since it was much better in terms of space availability and lessen the potential damage on the clyinder head and elsewhere near the engine if using the dowel. I was finally abled to removed both of those half moon gasket located in the rear cylinder head. HOORAY!!! I used a hook and pick 90 degree angle I bought at Walmart (the only one left). I pressed the hook in the center of the half mooned gasket (the rubber center) and it was a very hard press to make sure the hook goes in. I then pulled up the half moon straight up making sure there was enough space and movement without interfering the wires in between (wire harness, Crank position sensor and the Postive battery cable). Pulling up the half moon gasket was a little tough thing to do but I got both of them out in one solid piece each. Upon inspecting the old half moon gaskets, both were rock hard solid. In addition, I noticed some white flimsy strip in what appears to be silicone gasket underneath inside the bottom of the half moon gaskets. Whether that is the reason for being so tough/hard to pull them out remain to been seen.

Now I can go ahead and put in the new half moon gaskets in the rear cylinder. Right now I am debating myself whether to put in RTV gasket maker on the half moon gaskets or not. Some people wrote saying put in some RTV in half moon gasket along the edges. What edges specifically on the half moon gasket? Any other areas to put in RTV gasket maker on the half moon gasket? Others say don't put any RTV anywhere on the half moon gasket, just put the half moon gasket in its place and nothing else. Any comments/feedback on the RTV gasket maker on the half moon gasket issue from fellow members are greatly appreciate.