I'm getting a used t5 from an 86 2.8L firebird soon to swap into my car thats got an automatic right now. is there anything i could check visually on the tranny that would indicate a problem? i'll have a 30 day warrenty on it but is there anything to check/look at before i install it? pull the pan off and look for gear bits?

 

There is no "pan" to pull off. I would check the input shaft and make sure there isn't overly excessive play in it. Also try to spin it and listen for unusual noises. Go through all the gears on it also. That's really about it... unless you open it there's not much else you can check from the outside.

 

is it a lot of work to open the case up and look for damage?