just bought a 5 speed to do a manual swap not sure which one i have how do i identify it not sure if its a w series or what. it came out of a 2wd 86 pickup. on a lighter note how do i remove the crossmember i took a quick glance under and it seems welded to the frame unless its sandwiched atop whatever i was looking at.

 

If it's welded you might have to cut it off. Should be 2 bolts on each side of the frame rail

 

The torsion bar crossmember that the trans mount is bolted to is welded to the frame rails from the factory. Earlier trucks without torsion bars had removable crossmembers.

As for identifying the trans it's probably a w55. That's about the most common 5 speed trans of that era.

 

so if that's the case would i have to cut it off or would it be compatible with the w55 thanks for the responses

 

There should be no problems with the crossmember.

I just had a thought, are you dealing with the crossmember back by the tail shaft of the trans or that little 1" tube right behind the front tires? If it's the little tube just remove it and toss it in the scrap bin.

 

I thought he was talking about that tube up front. I believe it should be a direct bolt on if you snag the driveshaft with it? You can obviously get an aftermarket one but I think it should fit in just as easy as the 4spds since there outta same engine,chassis,cab,etc?correct me if I'm wrong

 

4 speed to 5 speed uses the same driveline etc. I haven't done a 2wd auto to manual swap so I can't say for sure how the driveline length goes with them. In the 4wd world the auto setup is 1" longer than the manual. Not that it means anything.