Are these easy to get at?
what? easy to get at what?
at the bearings you suggested
you have to tear the trans apart into a million pieces afaik..
Either way, there's no magic bullet for this. Pull it, look for clutch/prssure plate issues. If nothing jumps out at you there, buy another gearbox. You might be able to figure it out using a stethoscope applied to both areas of the gearbox. A rattle would suggest clutch, a rumble would suggest gearbox.