My 1979 244 BW55 tranny has done 521,000 km with no major problems except that it is slow (3 seconds) to engage Drive from Park after resting - no problems on the road - been like that for a many years -it leaks but only a few drops overnight on the driveway. It had all external seals replaced at 300,000 km.

On removing the oil pan to clean filter for routine maintenance I found several large but very thin flakes (5 mm by 2 mm by 0.01 mm) (200 thou by 80 thou by 0.4 thou) of metal which looks more like phosphor bronze rather than brass. There were also some fine slivers of bronze. There was no steel or aluminium slivers or powder.

I guess the large flakes mean something is not just wearing but disintegrating. What is bronze in the tranny? Is it fixable? If so, could I as a home mechanic fix it? Hesitant to take it to a tranny shop (in Australia) as the going rate is A$1500 for a complete rebuild and fit (with a 20,000 km or 12 months guarantee).