Removing stuck tub drain bushing

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bcat

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Pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/XcD47

I'm trying to replace my existing tub drain trim (having already replaced the faucet/spout/showerhead/overflow trim). The old drain unscrewed with no issues using a dumbbell wrench, but there's a brass adapter bushing in the waste shoe that I can't figure out how to unscrew. (The adapter fits inside the 1-1/2" waste shoe and accepts a 1-3/8" drain.)

The adapter only sticks up a tiny bit above the waste shoe, so I'm not sure how to remove it. I tried to grab the edge that sticks up with channel locks and vise grips, but I can't get a good grip. Will a drain key (or some other kind of internal wrench) be able to remove this bushing without damaging the threads of the PVC waste shoe? Otherwise, can I safely cut the bushing with a mini hacksaw and chisel/peal/pry the bushing out without wrecking the shoe?

I suppose I could just return the drain I bought and find a fine-threaded 1-3/8" drain that fits the existing bushing, but I like the drain I got, so that's a last resort in case I can't get the bushing out without damaging the shoe.

Also, I didn't notice this till I went back to take pictures, but the old drain didn't have a rubber washer between the waste shoe and the underside of the tub. It looks like the previous homeowner just stuffed a lot of plumber's putty into the space around the drain bushing. (Said plumbers putty is super brittle and fell apart when I removed the old drain.) We haven't noticed any leaks on the ceiling below, but is it ever right to install a tub drain with no rubber washer? I thought the putty was only suppose to keep the water in the tub when the stopper is plugged, not to keep the water from leaking around the shoe when the drain is open.
 

bcat

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I was about to go out and buy an internal drain wrench when I remembered a tip I'd read about heating old plumber's putty with a hairdryer to soften it. I heated the bushing with a hairdryer and was able to grab the lip of the bushing with the smallest pair of vice grips I own and unscrew it a tiny fraction of a turn at a time. Took me ages, but eventually I got the bushing unscrewed enough to grab the edge with (bigger) channel locks and take it out all the way. Sure enough, the upper threads of the bushing were all plugged up with putty. :/ Anyway, the threads on the shoe itself look fine. I'll clean out all the remaining putty, then install the new drain with washer.

BTW, is it normal to have to really wedge the washer in there? With no weight on the tub, there's only a tiny gap between the shoe and the tub. Maybe an eighth of the thickness of the washer. I think I can push the shoe down with a screwdriver enough to get the washer in, but it'll be under a lot of compression, and even more so when the tub has weight in it. Is that okay, or do I need to hunt down a thinner washer?
 
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