Everyone,

I have been driving a '88 740 w/ a M47 (8-valve NA) and 270k miles and just recently I have been getting a squeak or whine will having the clutch in. Previously I would get a very faint "grumble" or rumble noise when the clutch was in, but now it has gotten much more noticeable. When it first did it, I thought I had a belt squealing but it is definitely clutch related (i.e. it happens only when the clutch is in). The sound is intermittent in both duration and intensity so my guess is that this is the throw-out bearing, but I wanted to confirm with the collective wisdom of the board. I also hoping for some feedback on the severity of the issue...how soon do I need to address this?

As for repair, does it make any sense to do just the throw-out bearing? The clutch itself feels totally fine, although the adjustment on the cable is close to one end. A full clutch kit w/ bearing is $200 at IPD but I imagine the bearing alone is significantly cheaper. Just trying to be a cheapskate :)

Thanks in advance for the advice!
Brian