Coochie Coach

At first I thought it was pinging, a faint dry clatter that keeps pace with the engine in my (manual) '97 and gets more pronounced under acceleration in 5th gear.

Then, as I played with it, I noticed it in third gear, too, but not in 4th or 2nd, and I discerned it was telegraphing through the shift lever.

It's still relatively faint, and the transmission shifts smoothly, but something is difinitely amiss in my transmission. It has fluid, which was changed not that long ago, and isn't leaking except for a little sweating where the speedometer cable goes in.

Has anyone experienced this before? Is it something that can be fixed, or am I looking at a transmission replacement? I've been driving Maximas for years and never had a manual transmission fail. Damn.

Anyway, it presents me with a tough choice. The car is a daily commuter with high miles, a pitted windshield and the usual minor dents and dings found on cars of a certain age. What's a transmission replacement cost these days?

Many thanks.