All:

This weekend I will be going out in search of a transmission for our 1991 240DL wagon. I need an AW70/71 automatic.

I know this is always a gamble - that's part of the fun, I guess - but I had a couple of questions and thought you might be able to put me on the right track to increase my chances of finding something good.

Anyone know what year donor vehicle I should be looking for? I would assume mid-1980s and up. Can I pull a tranny from a 700-series or 900-series?

Aside from nice red fluid, and obvious body damage that totalled the car, is there anything else I should look for on the car or tranny itself? Anything I'll want to avoid?

What about the flywheel sensor...any considerations there?

Should I pull the torque converter as well, or just use the one from the old tranny?

Any tricks of the trade as to the pull itself? I've read here that about 3 feet of extensions will make the bellhousing-to-engine bolts easier to get at...

Any advice you can give before I head to the yard Friday would be much appreciated...thatnks!