Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting hightower imrc fix- ran into problem

I went to radioshack and got the TIP 120 transistor. So far I have all of the screws removed and have tried to lift up on the black plastic connector. It is stuck in the groove that it sits in and I have tried to use a putty knife to free it up but it won't budge. The material that holds the connector in appears to be a soft rubber and is brittle and the top part is beginning to chip away. I don't want to tear it up so is there anything I can spray on it that won't harm the chip and everything else inside the box? or should I get a knife and just keep working at it slowly? Thanks.