In my quest to keep my Designjet 750's running, I've taken up plastic casting (ortho wipers are impossible to get).
If someone wants to mail me (a loan only) a good one I'll make a mould and try casting some new ones.
(edit) actually, if you send me a complete one (does not have to be in one...
I dont think it's oxidation that degrades the ink. Most people talking about longevity are talking of UV, ozone or other stray chemicals in the air.
You'll never pull a vacuum sufficient to boil water with one of those things, so I guess it falls into the category of "won't hurt". I'd be...
Heck, even the 2003 hp 1220c I just bought was made in China. I wish you the best of luck and will be watching closely. I still buy my printers 10 years old and based on the availability of service manuals and parts, although I've been having evil thoughts about the Canon Pixma pro 9000 II