thanks guys for bearing with an idiot old fart like myself, I was just assuming the miles since last trans service...when I actually got out the records it turned out to be more like 40,000+ , boy does time and mileage fly by! Long story short, had to pull the pan to check bowdin cable hookup so did fluid and filter at same time, now she shifts like a dream,not even noticible from gear to gear. You got to love these old diesel cars, they even forgive a person for gross neglect {fourty lashes to me with a vacume hose} and come back strong
this has to be the best site on the internet, very helpful in keeping our fine autos on the road and in good shape.
somewhere in my search thru the xmission posts for info I found one that said "change fluid and filter first" best advice I have ever heard and if I had taken it I would have saved a few hours of chasing myself around in circles.