I just signed up here and have a million questions...sorry... I would like to know if taking the auto. transmission out of my truck and putting in a manual is a huge job or is it feasible? I have a banged up truck, 210,000 km. on it..manual..other than body, running gear is good...my auto only has 98,000. on it....so other than the work involved, there would be no cost involved...well, not much anyway..

 

It's not a lot of work to most of the people around here.
there are quit a few of us that have completed or in the process of complete 2wheel drive to four wheel drive conversions. my self included. So it depends in who you ask.

The swap to a manual transmission is much easier on a 4wheel drive because the cab has the big transmission hump and the right crossmember.
That said You would be well off to find a donor and get all the parts you need. It is a "bolt in" if you have all the parts.

By the way Welcome to the board.

 

How hard it is is relevant to your skill set. If you look at things that need repair and think you should take it to a mechanic...then yes probably more then your looking for.

Most of us on these boards are here because we are the type to get in there and get it repaired. We spend hours reading through the archives (using the search function to pull up old threads related to your project), and then dive in head first. Sometimes it require thinking outside the box to get these repairs, or conversions done...but most of use find that this is why we do it!

 

thanks guys...looks feasible to me...I'm not afraid to get in and get dirty, it's just that my truck is my daily driver, so I cant have a project that is to time consuming...if I can do it on a weekend, or within a weeks time? no problem..i have a shop and all the tools etc...I was just afraid to start something that I couldn't finish...open up a can of worms so to speak.

 

I thought everything mechanical was a can of worms
If you collect all the parts ahead of time It shouldn't take too long.
I am doing the swap now. but mine is a two wheel drive automatic to four wheel drive five speed. progress so far is in my build thread.

 

Yeah the trick would be finding EVERYTHING needed. That is a big order. You'd probably be cheaper, and easier, to buy a complete donor 5spd truck. Then you know for sure that you have everything.

 

Yeah that is the best way. The problem with gathering parts is the ones that are 25 year old diesel specific are getting pretty hard to find. the hardest is the clutch fork.

 

Clutch fork = impossible to find