An old trick for softening the rubber idler wheel found on those electric
record players of the 1950's is to soak the rubber wheel in transmission
treatment that is used to make old transmission seals soften up. Some brake
fluids
will also work.
If the wheel is really rock hard there is not much you can do except make a
new one. I went to an old hardware store and found a rubber gasket that
worked for a neighbor of mine but finding something that would be the exact
size
is a matter of luck.
Good luck,
Al
