[rescue] Rubber rot?

[Don Y]

C Fernandez wrote:
> Hmm, not sure I'd do this.  I've heard, although not verified, that 
> Armour All, and other products with silicone will hurt the item being 
> treated if the treatment is stopped..... in other words, once you start 
> using it, you can't stop.  Now with a car you will probably eventually 
> sell or junk it, but your computers?  I don't know, but some of you are 
> pretty fanatical about them :-)

Yeah, that's the story I've heard.  I.e. I don't use those
products on my car (vinyl and tires).  Though I have some
silicon compound that I use on the gaskets for the T-roof
without any problems (except getting the excess compound
off without leaving a stain on the glass)

> 
> Chad Fernandez
> Michigan, USA
> 
> James Fogg wrote:
>>> So, what causes this?  are there any prophylactic measures to
>>> ward it off?  Are any types of rubber more susceptible than
>>> others (I am sure these are all synthetics and not
>>> *really* "rubber").  I've had particularly bad luck with the
>>> rubber on Sun devices (e.g., the various "feet").
>>
>> If you have rubber that hasn't gone too far to rot you can preserve it
>> and even reverse the damage a bit with silicone oil. Your best and
>> cheapest source for silicone oil is DOT-5 brake fluid. Make sure it's
>> type DOT-5, other versions may damage rubber over time.
>>
>> A lesser alternative is something like Armor-all, which contains
>> silicone oil. They also contain lots of other things that might not be
>> good for the rubber (it's meant for vinyl).