It took a bit of work, but not an excessive amount. The isopropyl breaks down the glue (at least that's what I think it is) but only slightly... just enough to break the two parts free. After that, peel the leftover glue or whatever off, and the pieces will come apart and thread together just fine. Just be careful... the pyrex and the o rings come completely free when you unscrew everything. Don't put the base and air flow control ring in the isopropyl. It might affect the exposed o rings. The o rings in the tank section are fine, as they're unexposed until you pull the tank apart.