Volvo Forums - Volvo Enthusiasts Forum - 93 960 transmission noise

hey folks, great forum!

93 960 - 154K

rattling/grinding noise occurs most of the time when car stopped and transmission is engaged (D,3,L,R).
once you start moving, noise subsides. car shifts fine. I drained the fluid and dropped the pan... atf fluid isn't red... it's grey goop with metallic flakes... looks like shiny metallic nail polish. I refill fluid, drive 100 miles and drain again... more metal... perhaps from the leftover fluid that was in the torque converter during the first drain... (yes, i know i should do the flush from the radiator side, but this tranny may be gone already). tranny shifts fine... well mostly - see below.

when i first got the car... when cold, it would go into winter mode? start in 3rd or 4th. so, i go read all about the PNP... but car has no flashing lights. car would shift correctly after warming up for 5 min. so that's when i first did the fluid/filter change. i cleaned out the three connectors and reconnected with dialectric grease. next day, go to start, problem went away, 1st gear on start up. 2 days later i start the car, flashing arrow and flashing console selector switch (my switch by the way, W does not stay down). I get underneath the car and play with 3 connectors and wire to rpm sensor... all lights go away. check computer, 3-1-1 rpm sensor missing... I reset codes... and it hasn't come back yet.

so, car drives fine for now... but probably not for long.

any ideas what that noise is?

is it something i can try to fix? or should i spend my time sourcing a used aw30-40?

any ideas on how much a used aw30-40 is?

also, since everyone calls this a "toyota unit"... can i just buy an a340e and swap bell housings and it'll bolt up? or are the connectors different?

-oh i should add: from the maintenance records, tranny fluid was changed 30K ago.

much thanks!
-peewee