Question re Teac MT-2ST encoder roller tire

Recently acquired a Teac MT-2ST SCSI cassette tape drive and am attempting to recondition it. Although it does have direct drive motors on both reels (no rubber bands), the design is still plagued by having a rubber roller "tire" on its encoder roller which has turned to a very sticky goo for half its length on my unit. Thankfully, Bitsavers not only has the service manual for this unit, but also photos! This photo shows the encoder roller and tire: http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/teac/MT-2ST/photos/2.JPG The tire appears to be 1 cm wide, 1.5mm thick, and ~1/4" tall (for the 1/4" tape). The tire is inset into the metal roller wheel. Has anyone successfully attempted replacing this tire, and if so, how did you do it? I've removed the tire -- half of which was pure goo -- and am thinking maybe to fill the tire inset void with an elastomeric caulk, smoothing it out to meet the outer edge of the rest of the roller. A really short rubber band about the size of a pinky finger would work nicely also. Thank you- -John