I know I'm new at ECF, but when my equipment stuck, and I needed to use pliers, I knew it would gouge marks in the finish, so I took a towel and folded it over once or twice to make it thick. Then I grabbed the PV with the pliers and the thick towel was in between. I had to squeeze the pliers harder than I wanted to, but I got the grip I needed to unscrew it, and the finish was totally fine. I hope you guys find a way to fix it with minimal scratching.