14 years on my rusty old eq6 -2002 vintage- needed new washers. Just less than 1mm. How about the lid from a box of Heroes? You get to finish off the Heroes too. Alas, only the rubbish creme egg ones were left. Proper grease works wonders too after having had that black bitumen-like glue down the years. The best way to shift it? Penetrating spray-oil. Nothing else comes close.
Here is the bitumen-free DEC shaft with it's new chocolate. I mean washer.