I just picked up a 444 dipless base from eBay; after doing a little reading I gather that there is a gasket needed that (coming from eBay) may or may not still be there, and may or may not be in any decent sort of condition.

But, I don't know how to get to it.

I assume the black upper part comes off of the glass base, but does it pull straight off? Does it unscrew? It doesn't want to move at all at the moment, and I don't want to apply a lot of extra force especially if I don't know which direction to apply it in.

How do I open this thing and do any maintenance that it might need?

Thanks!

You should be able to take a quarter or dime and gently pry it up until it pops off. It'll come straight off, no screw motion. Just be careful to not put too much pressure or you could chip the top. A soak in water might help too.

Best-
Brian

Good chance that the gasket is crunchy so a little water soak would probably help. These can be replaced from a hardware store - check Pendemonium.com for the exact type.

I have had 6 444 sets that came with great gaskets but YMMV


Kurt

Would recommend running a little warm water over the joint between the cap (the plastic thing) and the base, then twist the cap and see if it will move. If it doesnt, i use a little bit of water (warm) with a drop of dishwashing liquid and a small syringe to run the liquid around the edge of the joint, let set a few minutes and try again. I don't like to pry the plastic top. Good luck!
LEROY

My 444 came with a perfectly usable gasket also. I soaked the well overnight, then removed the top with a quarter, I believe. A shilling may work just as well, but I haven't checked the exchange rates yet today.