lvlearn@MCI2000.COM quoted from his email:

<<  Mark publicly stated in his note that he DID hear bearing
noises.  Yet Joshua went on to say:
 "As for transmissions, I doubt it would be of much value to
preemptively  replace the bearings. If you listen carefully,
you'll hear bearing noise long  before the thing grenades."   >>

I disagree with Joshua.   By the time you begin to hear bearing
or other worn parts making noise in the gearbox the damage is
done.  Listen to an air-cooled motor and then to a water-cooled
motor.  Hear the difference?  Most of the engine mechanical
noise is blanketed by the water jackets.  Same holds true with
a gearbox and the gear oil.  The noises of the beginning stages
of failure that you might be able to hear can be muffled by the
gear lube.  By the time the worn part(s) are bad enough to make
enough noise to be heard then its really toasted.   Most failures
are gradual and the driver grows accustomed to these noises.
If a stranger (to the vehicle) drives the car then they tend to pick
up quite quickly that something is wrong.  I don't know how
many times I've gone for a test drive and heard a mainshaft
bearing howling like a banshee but the owner wasn't concerned
or simply didn't realize that there was a major failure.  What you
allow to happen by not replacing worn parts as soon as you
notice them is that other parts will be affected by this lack of
maintenance and the job can end up costing you even more.

-Todd Hill
 VolksWerks Transaxles
 Olympia, WA