Put it into a heavy duty (freezer) bag and submerge in boiling water (use a big lobster/spaghetti pot) for 15 minutes. Pull it out and immediately twist the reel seat and once it moves, pull it downward. Make sure to grab with a super heavy glove OR a towel ... don't put hands on a 212 degree seat.

You MAY or may not be able to remove the cork grip next, but the process is the same. The problem with grip removal is that many times the heat needed to loosen the adhesive underneath the cork is also adequate to loosen the glue binding the rings together.

TJ -

Obviously Ed and I were posting at the same time ... two heads are better than one, so boil away.