If you can find a pick/pull yard near by, its pretty easy to pull the gearbox yourself, and then swap it w/ the one on your car (if its similar to the 300e). All it takes is disconnecting some p/s fluid lines, then keeping the wheel centered, removing 3 mounting screws on the side of the fender, and pulling the pitman arm w/ a puller (just don't use the 3-prong puller, doesn't work so well...).

On the 300e, w/ no prior knowledge or experience pulling on, my friend and i took it out in about 2 hours, but looking back if you knew what to do and had the proper tools it would take substantially less time - we also played around taking apart a door and some of the interior.

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87 300E
202k on the clock