From time to time I have to remove perished drive belts from cassettee decks etc. They seem to end up in a very gooey/sticky black substance which is somewhat difficult to remove. What's the best way/solvent to clean up these perished belts?
i've used alcohol. However, first it may help to add some talcum powder to reduce the 'slimeyness', get the lumps off then clean the rest with a rag and alcohol. Be sure to get it all off the grooves in any pulleys
- even a little bit of that stuff can spread itself around.
ahh, the sweet natural bio degradation of man made stuff.
this seems to occur on many black soft/flex "rubbery" parts. time seems to be key element for this problem.
it gets worse when the gooey stuff migrates onto magnetic heads, brake pads, drive wheels, gears and other key parts.
it usually is a case of bad material selection by the manufacturer, ( perhaps cost savings?), or a decision that the device it self will have a limited life to begin with.
excesssive heat, attic storage, moisture, and some types of fungii seem to accelerate this breakdown process. perhaps highly ionized oxygen does it too.
best remedy is to replace them before they go completely to a flowing state
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