Just catching this thread (not sure how I missed it!)
Beautiful set and great story. Congrats on getting such a great pair! I had a set of these in Harvest Gold a while back. The washer was super quiet; the dryer not so much. But they did a great job. The Penta Swirl agitator can definitely move a large load around, but it's a more gentle turnover.
Good luck with the transmission swap. You may be able to locate the bearing tools through a local long-time appliance repair business. If you explain what you're doing you may be able to borrow/rent them. Keep us posted!