Hello Wildcat. That red stuff looks to be the dreaded liner. Must be burned out. I don't know if those solvents will help but do doubt they will soften anything. I believe the liner is cured epoxy. That gasket needs to go and someone used a heat gun and a small chisel to remove it. The 3/4" close nipples are what I used on mine because they don't intrude into the drum very far and hence won't get in the way when cleaning out the drum in the future. Those are the only answers I can help you with, so good luck with your build.
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