For anybody that may be following this soap opera, after I finally got everything installed, I had RPM dependant vibrations. Out the tranny came. The plan was to swap the input shaft bearing and replace the flywheel bolts with the proper GM shoulder bolts.

So.. I find out that the bearing's pressed on and the input shaft has to come out to get it off. After I get the input shaft off, I discover that there's only 13 of the 15 roller bearings between the input shaft and the main shaft. Nice. The 1st gear synchro spring is broken too. I cracked open my broken 2.8 T5 and pulled the bearings and spring out of it. Last night when I was putting the trans back together, I noticed that the main shaft where the bearings were missing is just a bit scored:

It's not as bad as it looks in the pic, but it's not good. This car HAS to move tomorrow, so the trans went back together like that. Most of the surface that the bearings ride on is still flat, so my fingers are crossed that it won't cause any problems. The transmission is finally back together and ready to lift into the car.

 

Long before I got into automatics I was building stick shifts. As soon as you get where the car needs to be replace it and anything that looks questionable. It's only a matter of time till something breaks. What you see in the picture is the loss of case hardening, once it starts to go its wears rapidly. Make sure you add extra magnets if possible. Add one to the drain plug if it does not already have one. Use a hi-quality fluid such as Amsoil.