I'm gathering up the parts to change my '91 F150 4x4 from the E4OD automatic to the M5OD/M5R2 manual.

Some of the parts that aren't available new are hard to find. One I'm having a problem finding is the manual transmission cross member. I'm guessing that's because most yards cut through them to pull the transmission. I found only one on ebay and my $100 bid wasn't enough to get it, which kind of surprised me as I didn't think they were that valuable.

So I'm wondering how different they are from the auto version. I have a torch and a MIG welder, could I maybe modify the auto cross member to fit the manual transmission? If it's just a matter of modifying/relocating the transmission mount it shouldn't be hard, unless the whole cross member needs to be shaped different to clear everything.

Any ideas or pictures of the two side by side?

 

I'm going through similar issue. The 5spd has the mount just slightly farther back then the automatic(at least with AOD). Though the frame has only one set of holes, so I'm guessing the crossmember has a bit of an arch in it to go back towards the rear of the truck.

I'm in search for one myself. Have a few 92-96 5spd trucks in local pullapart, but not sure if that crossmember will work for '89?

I too have a welder, but the timeframe I plan to do this does not entail lots of playing around time. I hoped to make it a simple bolt in.

 

 

I feel like i should have posted the smallest image possible with "click image" under it.

 

Hmmm, if they are suppose to be different, how come they have the same part numbers for gussets and support? Or is the support beam just turned around?

 

All Ford parts have the same BASE number, it's the prefixes (first letters/numbers) and suffixes (last letters) that determine what that base number fits. So to make heads or tails out of that diagram REQUIRES the parts list key.

So support 5060 just tells us it is a support/cross member, but without the first 4 numbers/letters ,and the last 1, 2 ,or three letters it is just a cross member that no one knows what it fits.

 

The crossmember from the newer truck will fit in your '89. Just be sure to get the support brackets also. I think that maybe all the 5-speed crossmembers are the same F150-F350 as I used one from a '94 F150 when I installed a ZF 5-speed in my '87. Note that 4x2 and 4x4 crossmembers are different.

 

The one I missed on ebay was listed as fitting '88-'96 so if that's correct you should be ok. That one was for a 4WD, might be different if you have a 2WD.




Looking at the posted diagrams without knowing the actual dimensions the cross members don't seem radically different. I won't be starting this project for a couple months so I'll keep an eye out for the correct cross member but if I don't find one it looks like I can mod what I have.

 

I know the mount location between my AOD and the 5spd is like about 2"(from memory)farther back on 5spd.

I got a set of pedals in the works(for 89) and I might check into the pull apart if/when the weather breaks a bit and see about a crossmember. I know there is the 92 that I got the pedals from(that won't work) that still had transmission in it. Might be others? Sticks are hard to come by.