Brown "film-type" pieces

It's been a while since I tried my old favorite workhorse -- HP LaserJet 5L. I finally stopped using it because I kept getting a brown colored, film-type substance that comes out with sheets of paper ... sometimes jamming the paper in the last rollers. I've looked and looked and can't figure out where this could be coming from, unless it somehow "ate" the film-stuff off the printer cartridge. And, yes, I pulled back the "door" thing on it, and didn't see any loose pieces of brown filmy stuff.

Don't know if this helps, but using the theory of "if it's already broke, I can't break it" I've taken this machine apart several times in the last 5 years ... to finally get to those little bitty pieces of paper that just won't come out, to clean it with compressed air and/or damp alcohol q-tip, etc.

Fortunately, I never came out with an "extra" pieces after doing this! and it worked better afterward.

The last time I did this, though, a spring came off the "which place to output paper" (don't know the real name of part, have no book) -- the part that tells printer to put paper out the top or out the bottom. Can't seem to get that piece so it'll put paper out the top again, so I've adapted to having it come out the bottom.

Then, I started getting these pieces of film coming out.

Any ideas of where it's coming from? This thing is so old, that I wouldn't even consider taking it in for repair ... could more than likely buy a newer model for less (and it probably wouldn't hold up to this old workhorse's past ... I love this printer!).

jaws