rubber diaphrams are old and cracked

the rubber diaphrams on my float bowls are cracked and need to be replaced. But they are not coming off and are cracking in pieces. Should i boil the bowl in water the loosen teh grommett and scrape away the rest of the rubber???

here it is

Just scrape the old gaskets off, being careful not to gouge the float bowl surface. You can use a commercially available gasket remover/softener...or just elbow grease

I believe it's OK to soak those bowls in solvent which would loosen the hardened material. You could use naptha, mineral spirits, acetone or even gasoline.

When those o-ring gaskets get hard and cracked, toss 'em. Trying to use them in that condition will lead to a great deal of head banging, long sleepless nights, and the use of adult vocabulary.