Warden,
I have an old can of 3in1 that I have used for years. It never seems to run out. I've tried all sorts of stuff over the years. I've found WD40 tends to run into the mast and help the dirt collect inside. Oil will help clean it but needs to be wiped off or dirt sticks to it and the mast just ends up sticking again. One trick I've tried that seems to help is to take the towel I use to buff the car after waxing and rub it on the mast to get a small (very small) amount of wax on the mast to help keep it clean. That works if the mast is clean and working well. If it's sticking I just use oil to clean it then wipe it dry. I'm not sure there's a perfect solution here. The most important thing is to keep the mast clean.
LRG

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LRG
1987 300D Turbo 175K
2006 Toyota Prius, efficent but no soul
1985 300 TDT(130K miles of trouble free motoring)now sold