Good news for me!
Called my trans guy and he has managed to source one locally.
Phew!
Might be ready by the end of the week.
There's one headache that is subsiding!
Oh and BTW, talked to Manny about this part. He said he only has a couple that he is saving for his rebuilds. My tranny guy confirmed this is a common problem with these transmissions, so there's another problem part to be on the lookout for.