What was the thickness? Was it a tight fit?

The thickness of the washer is about 1mm that was the only number 8 washers at homedepot, but I did get a very snug fit. I will try hammering two of them together.

Yes, I actually let the extruder get up to 195 and then waited an additional 30 min before starting the motor. I am going to try removing the nozzle like you suggested maybe the nozzle is clogged.

Hey Tim is that the right washer that im suppose to use? I filed one but my motor still smashed it.

I had better luck stacking two #6 washers (which are thinner). I had to hammer the pieces together, holding the washers in place with a screwdriver, and then they worked fine.

It makes me wonder, though, what's causing the resistance that's crushing the washers. Was the extruder up to temperature? Is there something blocking the nozzle?

When I had washers getting crushed, I had some burnt-looking stuff behind the nozzle, which I cleared out, and I started letting the extruder sit at temperature for 15 minutes to make sure that everything was heated up, after which the washers stopped turning into potato chips. :-)