On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:35:44 -0400, Gene
wrote:

I feel your pain. When mine crapped out I replaced the whole unit,
rather than fight it. I now have a spare, as yet unrebuilt, but
winter's acomin'.....

I'm thinking about rebuilding it, but to tell the truth, the parts
cost as much as a brand new one. I will probably take it apart and
keep and/or salvage what I can out of it, but it's probably only going
to be the ball hitch, emergency brake actuator and the master cylinder
- plus the bushings. The emergency release spring is heavily corroded
and not salvagable either.

Ten years old - seems like it should last longer than ten years.