Hi,
Yes, like you I couldn't find much on the internet about this problem, hence me posting to the old thread.
I had a quote for repair of my K-7 to replace the CCD which was around £350 and I was unsure what to do. I don't use my camera as much as you, so it seemed a big expense to either repair or replace.
After advices and consideration I bought a new K-3ii body and am really pleased that I did this. The improvements in terms of quality and especially at low light level plus better shake reduction are really good and well worth upgrading.
See this post for discussion on replacement bodies:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/300160-replaceme...ml#post3328541
Hope this helps.
Liz