Cipher Streamer / DEC TS05 Tape Drive

Hello, The TS05 I picked up last week looked to be in perfect condition. There was very little dust on or in it. However, I did notice a slight amount of rust on the shaft coming out of the take-up motor (the top of the shaft is visible through the hub). On further inspection, there is a slight amount of oxidation on the surface of the takeup hub; this can be easily removed with Scotch-Brite, I think. But what disturbs me is this... I found one particular sign that this drive may not have been used for some years. The supply hub has three short arms which emerge from their normal position tucked inside the supply hub and which press against the inside metal rim of the tape reel in order to hold it in place. Each little arm has a small rubber or latex pad which helps to provide grip against the tape reel. On my much-older and much-more-clearly-used Cipher on the Prime, the rubber pads are fine; on this nearly-new-looking TS05, they have lost all firmness and have turned almost to the consistency of tree sap. They didn't drip, they weren't that bad; but one attempt to load a tape left most of the pads on the inside of the tape reel. It seems strange for the drive to look so otherwise perfect and these items to be mush. Any thoughts? Plus, anyone been there/done that? I need to replace these pads, and they weren't listed in the Cipher manual as a replaceable part (you have to replace the entire supply hub, it would seem). tia, -doug quebbeman