Luissm, there’s someone on eBay selling the bread pan seals for many different bread machines for $13.49. That seems a bit high, to me.
Note that some of the other brand bread machine’s seals, like the seal for the Regal, appear to be identical to the Hitachi seal.
m.e. & Andrew, I use vegetable oil to lubricate the shaft.
I don’t know how hot a bread machine gets, but it is probably best to use an edible oil with a high “smoke point.” The one with the highest smoke point is apparently safflower oil. I did a web search and found a web page which claimed that safflower oil has the highest smoke point, at 510°F, with peanut, soybean & corn oils tied for second-highest, at 450°F, and sunflower oil close behind, at 440°F. Another site puts sunflower oil close behind safflower oil, followed by beef tallow. I just use whatever I have on hand (but not olive oil, butter or lard).
