I will probably replace the washer because I don't want to swap the gasket

[mikebw]

I can sympathize, sometimes you just feel like unloading something and starting fresh to avoid the worry. I did the same thing with my last car, but it was a 2005 with over 200K miles, had some issues and I was able to donate it for a tax purposes.

If you are too busy to make the repairs yourself I definitely agree to hire someone.