Well, I did it. I used vice grips and a screwdriver to get a little gap then hammered the screwdriver further, pulled with the vice grips, etc. to remove it. Cleaned off all the old dried flaky material and used bathroom caulk to insulate the plate. Getting the ring back on was a little harder but I used a block of wood and a hammer to get it going. Thanks to everybody for all the help. I'm so grateful to have this forum.
