How to remove glued-down capacitors?

[sjchannel]

Recently I was going over a 1982 JC120 Jazz Chorus that had various minor age-related problems.  I would have liked to have replaced a few key electrolytic capacitors, since they're 30+ years old and could do some damage if they failed.  But I found that the larger capacitors were glued onto the printed circuit board -- not with silicone or hot melt glue, but with a translucent green substance (green Loctite, maybe?).  I tried slicing the glue with a razor blade knife, and I tried prying the capacitors up with a screwdriver, but gave up out of fear of snapping the circuit board in two.  Do any of you have suggestions for how to remove those old capacitors?

Thanks!

[Enzo]

First, make sure the solder is removed, so they are free other than from the glue.  We do not want to try to lever them out of their solder.

I never have a problem wedging them off.  I get under them with a thin screwdriver and give it a twist.  A fine tooth circular saw blade in your Dremel might cut the stuff.  In general you can snap a board if you flex it too far, but in getting under a cap and prying up, you are not putting flex on the board so much.

A heat gun MIGHT soften the stuff, depending on what it is.

[J M Fahey]

Agree and add: it's some kind of contact cement, usually green, sometimes brownish.
No big deal.
Unsolder and suck solder as recommended by Enzo, so nothing blocks movement and steadily and firmly apply pressure on one side of the cao, as if to "tumble" it ... and keep pressure a few seconds.
Being dry contact cement, it will not "snap" but will relatively slowly "give" and tear.
Imagine internal fibers snapping under tension, give it a little time.
Remember nobody disturbed it for 30 years or more.

[sjchannel]

Thanks very much, guys, that helps a lot.  I'll know what to do next time I run into this.

John