First, the ticker is at 278,000 (this isn't a concern by itself) and I am curious as to what I should look for at that mileage. The CO (current owner) says it has a leaky valve cover gasket. Is that a common problem, I changed the gaskets on my dads 89 long ago due to a split but I'm just wondering if I can rest assured that it is the VC gasket and not the HG.
Also, he says the throw out bearing is chirping. My question is what would be the average cost of having the bearing and the clutch replaced? My sister ran her XT in this condition for many several hundred miles (in fact I think it may have been thousands) so it's not a huge concern either, I'm just looking for a cost estimate so I know if I'll be able to afford it when it comes up (or hopefully before that)
Lastly, what is the recommended interval for timing belt replacement? I think for my legacy it was around 130,000? (please don't smite me if I am wrong). CO says it was replaced somewhere around 80,000 ago. I tend to trust him, he is from seattle after all.
Thanks,
Bryce