Pulling a transmission at salvage yard

[Restoman]

I'll hopefully be doing just that here in a couple of weeks.

1. Is there any litmus test for picking a transmission from a car?
of course look for low mileage and overall condition.

2. I've not pulled one from an E30, but have pulled one in my old car several times for various reasons. I hear that the E30 can be quite difficult to get the top bolt loose. What if I just dropped the trans brace and loosened the engine mounts so that the drivetrain tilts back? Then the bolts should be a breeze right?

3. I'm just looking to get a spare since mine does have the rattle and about 195K on it. Any particular model besides the M10/M42 that I should or should not pull from? Mine is a 1990 325i

[DesertBMW]

There is no way to test the transmission on the non running car. It is always a gamble, it can look very nice, but once you install it , could have worn out syncros or have same noise. Bolts can be on there tight and difficult to maneuver under the car in the dirt

[efficient]

if your picking one from a yard just let the motor drop and get it from underneath or you can just yank out the motor with the trans attached to it.