Is petroleum jelly safe for use with rubber?

This isn't a *** question. Actually, it's not really a car question.

I have some O-rings in an old watch that I want to re-lube to protect. Should I use something like ptroleum jelly? Lithium grease? 30 weight? 3-in-1?

What's rubber friendly?

Thanks as always,

Matt

 

here's another one,is it safe for my brushes?......

 

I've used it on rubber watch O-rings with no problem. Watch is still good years later.

 

petroleum is oil based and generally reacts to hydraulic fluids. Most places it will work.

 

We use some sort of petroleum lube on all our o-rings.

 

I once used K-Y on a radiator hose that wouldn't quite fit. As it turned out the auto parts store gave me the wrong part number. So it wasn't needed afterall. It's the truth. And no, this story had nothing to do with ***. No kidding!

 

Latex is the real problem with petroleum jelly. I don't think it helps rubber, but I also don't think it hurts it real bad either. The reason I say that is because I read about windshield wipers and how road grime (ie oil) can wear out the rubber and that is why silicone products are getting popular as wiper material. Could just be marketing bs, but that's what I heard.

 

Actually petrolium jelly will disolve latex.

 

Not sure about rubber/petro jelly, but the other guys seem to have done ok with it.

One thing for sure, don't use WD40 on non-synthetic rubber.
Real rubber from the good old daze in other words.

Here's a pic of my little Schuco racer with genuine rubber tires my Army uncle brought to me from Germany.
Circa 47-48 or when he came home from the war.
I have absolutely no idea how he got it, it was new in the box and I understand the town where they were made was bombed down to gravel pit status.

The Schuco racer was in my house when it flooded in 1978.
Part of the recovery process was hosing things down with a garden house and applying a liberal dose of WD40 and letting it dry out.
Saved a lot of stuff that way, color TV, radio's, power tools etc.

You can see how the WD40 affected the real rubber tires.

 

[QUOTE='29MurrayTub]I once used K-Y on a radiator hose that wouldn't quite fit. As it turned out the auto parts store gave me the wrong part number. So it wasn't needed afterall. It's the truth. And no, this story had nothing to do with ***. No kidding![/QUOTE]

'Cept'n you HAD the K-Y in your "Tool Kit"...

 

S'good for rubber, keeps it soft.
Makes dried and stiff "O" rings expand and supple.

 

What's good to put on stored tires for an "uknown" amount of time? I got some I'm trying to save for the next project but it might be awhile!

 

Olive oil for old rubber is the best protectant/preservitive. It is closest to the natural oils in rubber. I used to rub it on my slicks,beetween races. It keeps the rubber fresh and supple. Rub it in well with your hands. Coat tires with it inside and out,for storage. Castor bean oil works well too, but it is thicker,and harder to spread in cold weather. Hold the pesto Sparky

 

Free sample. I forget where I got it.