Those new pots are wirewound with a conductive plastic wafer and case,don't last very long under game stress, although in your situation it may be fine and they are rated for like 50k cycles I believe (don't quote jenn
).... The carbon replacement is very hard to find anymore and usually are quite spendy when you do. I would most definitely attempt to clean it first, you don't have to go all restoration on it however, just blast it full of pot cleaner woosh it back and forth a few times every couple of minuets while its drying, and don't put power to it until its completely dry, (so they say anyway never seen one burst into flames yet)