im picking up a b17 gsr tranny for my 93 pretty soon and want to know what i look for to see if its in good condition or not..

 

Unless you can pull it all apart, and take a look inside. Just like judging a book by its cover, it is really hard to judge a trasnmission by is case. ;]

 

besides checking for play in the shaft, there isnt much you can do.

 

Check for play in the shaft, Check it spins freely,
Put some transmission fluid in it then drain it and check the colour of the fluid.
If it stays the same colour good, If it turns silvery/grey then it may have run a bearing.
Check casing for cracks and if the gasket leaks when you put some fluid in it.
Shift it through all the gears and check that it doesnt jam.

Thats about it you can do for checking with out being in the car or pulling it apart.

Id say just pull it apart, Its not exactly hard,

15mins tops to pull the cover off then have a quick look at all the bearings.